Fix Me
by NaleyNaley2312
Summary: Nathan and Haley spent one day together, seven years ago. One amazing day, then their paths never crossed again. What happens when a significant event brings them together again?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey! This is one of the two stories that I'm starting up. I was going to wait to post it until I finished writing 'Finding The Way Back' but I was feeling excited about it. I already have the next chapter written, so if the feedback is good, then I'll post the next one. Thank you!**

 **Chapter 1**

"Let me warn you..." Haley's sister Quinn began, letting out a deep breath. "Clay's best man can kind of be a jerk sometimes."

Haley laughed, continuing to curl Quinn's hair. "You've met my ex-boyfriend, right? Chris was the king of all jerks." She said, smiling at her sister in the mirror.

"It's different." Quinn said, shrugging slightly. "He's been nice to me, but usually when I'm around, he's off doing something else. His brother, Lucas, is very nice though."

"Stick to Lucas. Got it." Haley said, letting out a deep breath. "I love Clay, but what is he doing having a roommate? He can afford his own place. Sports Agenting pays well, I'm sure."

"He has never really explained it to me. Just said Nathan couldn't be alone." Quinn said, nodding down at her. "Nathan can afford it too, believe me."

Haley set the curling iron down, resting her head on top of Quinn's, letting out a deep breath. "I can't believe that you're getting married tomorrow." She said, flattening her hands down her sister's arms. "You look beautiful."

Quinn smiled at her, "Right back at you, maid of honor. I'm sorry that your jackass boyfriend had to do what he does best, be a jerk." She said, standing up, turning to face her.

"I'll just get drunk and have meaningless sex at your wedding." Haley joked, waving her hand. "It's the perfect plan."

"Good idea. I'm sure has a lot of sexy football players coming. Or basketball, baseball. You name it." Quinn laughed, wrapping her arm around Haley's shoulders. "Thanks for being the only sibling that could make it to the rehearsal dinner. Damn weather ruins everything. This is what I get for wanting a winter wedding in New York. Let's hope they can make it tomorrow."

"It's probably better that Taylor doesn't make it. I was worried I wouldn't be able to. It's damn cold here." Haley laughed, shaking her head. "I miss the warmth of Tree Hill."

"Oh, stop it." Quinn laughed, biting her lip and looking at Haley. "Are you ready?" She asked her sister.

"Not ready for you to be a married woman." Haley responded, linking her arm through her sisters, tugging her out of the hotel room.

xxxx

"Please be pleasant tonight, Nathan." Clay said, tying his tie and letting out a deep breath. "I shouldn't feel like I have to ask you to be nice, yet here I am doing it."

"I'll be fine." Nathan grumbled, fiddling with his tie and shaking his head. "Are you sure this girl is the one for you, man? You haven't known her that long."

"I'm getting married tomorrow, Nathan. Just support me." Clay said, shaking his head and looking at his friend, resting his hand on his shoulder. "She's the one." He assured him, letting out a deep breath. "I won't be too far, Nate. We have an extra room in the house we picked out so if you need a place to crash."

Nathan shifted, shaking his head. "I'll be fine on my own." He said quickly, shoving his hands into his pockets, letting out a deep breath. "I'm happy for you, Clay."

"Thanks, buddy." Clay responded, nodding at his friend and looking at himself in the mirror. "Quinn's maid of honor is her sister, Haley. She's super sweet, so be nice to her. No one else in her family will be here until tomorrow morning, so just focus on being kind to Haley when you see her. She can be tough. She's a high school literature teacher. Twenty-three years old and beautiful, mixed with horny high school students. She'd have to be tough." He informed him, nodding.

"I'll be nice! Would you cool it?" Nathan snapped, pushing his hand through his hair. "I feel like you're treating me like I'm a kid."

"I've been treating you like you're my kid for the last year, Nate. Don't drink too much tonight, please. I need you on your best behavior, otherwise I'll make Lucas watch you." Clay said, slinging his arm around Nathan's shoulders.

"Don't make Lucas watch me." He grumbled, letting out an annoyed sigh. "I'll be fine. I know my limits."

"Do you?" Clay asked him, looking at him and letting out a deep breath. "I can't worry about you tonight, Nathan. It's my rehearsal dinner. You do know that I pushed the wedding back a few weeks because you weren't doing well, right?" He asked him, letting out a deep breath.

Nathan shifted, looking down. "I'm twenty-three." He began, his voice cracking a little bit. In age only. "I can take care of myself."

Clay sighed as Nathan's eyes became dull, letting out a deep breath. "I know." He said, nodding at his friend. "Please don't sleep with any of Quinn's cousins."

"I won't. Would you stop acting like I'm going to ruin your wedding? I won't drink, I won't sleep with anyone. I'm just going to sit there and play nice." Nathan responded, letting out a deep breath. "You don't need to worry about me. Lucas will be there."

"If Lucas brings a date, who are you going to hang out with? Third wheel to him and his girl?" Clay asked, raising his eyebrows.

"You told me I couldn't bring a date." Nathan said, sighing softly. "You let Luke have a plus-one?"

"You would have brought someone that I don't want at my wedding, man." Clay said, letting out a deep sigh. "I really don't want to treat you like you're six, Nate. But please, tell me what you're going to do if you end up third wheeling to Lucas."

"I'm going to sit at the bar, and talk to Chase. Have one beer. You can tell Chase if you feel the need to." Nathan said, letting out a deep breath, pushing Clay's arm off of him. "That's it. I promise. I'm going to behave. I won't even talk to anyone except Chase, unless they speak to me."

"Nathan..." Clay sighed, shaking his head. "Okay. Come on, buddy. Let's go."

xxxx

The dining room was beautiful. Very Quinn-like. There was a certain charm to it that made Haley smile. Her sister had spent months planning this wedding, and every detail reflected that. She'd made sure everything was perfect.

While their parents and siblings had not been able to make it, some of their cousins had flown in just before the snow storm hit.

Quinn was swept away from her almost as soon as they stepped into the room, which left Haley standing alone, talking to a cousin that was the same age as her oldest sister, whom she had hardly anything in common with.

"I think that twenty-five is a little young to be getting married." The woman said, letting it a deep breath.

"I think as long as she's happy, that's all that counts. Right, Whitney? Age is just a number." Haley grumbled, shaking her head.

"Yes, but it's a small one. If I had waited a little longer to get married, maybe I..."

That's when Haley zoned out. She knew it was the rude thing to do, but why the hell was this woman telling her that her sister was too young to get married? When you know, you know.

A familiar voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

"Haley James!" The voice nearly shouted, grabbing Haley by the wrist. "Quick! I have an emergency!" She said, before pulling Haley away.

Haley let herself be pulled into the bathroom, a grin forming on her face when they'd escaped the crowd. "Brooke!" She said, pulling her friend into a tight hug.

Brooke hugged Haley back, smiling brightly. "I thought I'd save you from the torture that is your judgmental cousin Whitney." She said, smiling at her. "It's good to see you, Hales!"

"Oh, you won't believe how nice it is to see you." Haley said, letting out a breath of relief. "It feels like it's been forever."

"Way too long." Brooke agreed, "Almost a year now."

"I thought you told me that you told Quinn that you couldn't make it." Haley questioned her, smiling at her.

"Some things changed around, and here I am." Brooke responded, letting out a deep breath. "Wow, it's so good to see you. Why the hell haven't I moved back to Tree Hill yet?" She laughed.

"I ask myself the same question every day." Haley said, smiling at her.

"Where's Chris?" Brooke asked, raising her eyebrows.

Haley sighed, shaking her head. "We broke up."

"Shut up! I live in New York, Haley. Not the moon. Cell phones still work." Brooke said, shaking her head. "Tell me what happened."

Haley let out a deep breath, beginning to tell the story. "Well..."

xxxx

Clay led Nathan over to Quinn, wrapping his arms around her from behind, his chin resting on her shoulder. "Hey you." He said, smiling.

Quinn turned around, grinning up at Clay. "Hey soon to be husband. Have you seen my boyfriend hanging around here? I want one last hook up before I'm a married woman." She teased him, smoothing her hand over his suit jacket.

"No, but if I do, I'll tell him you're looking for him." Clay laughed, glancing over at Nathan.

"Hey Nate." Quinn said, nodding at him. "You look nice."

Nathan nodded at her, "Thanks. You too." He said, letting out a deep breath.

"I wanted to introduce Nathan and Haley." Clay said, gesturing to his friend. "Thought maybe they should recognize each other just in case there's an emergency and the best man and maid of honor need to have a meeting."

Quinn scanned the room, shaking her head slowly. "I'm not sure where she went. If I find her, I'll steer her in your direction." She said, offering Nathan a small smile.

Nathan tugged on his tie lightly, rubbing his neck and letting out a deep breath. "Okay." He said simply, looking around the room to see if he could find his brother anywhere.

He recognized quite a few of the people there. Clay's parents. Clay's family, mostly. Some of his and Clay's friends from college had even made it. But he didn't want to talk to any of them. In fact, the only person he was interested in talking to was his friend behind the bar; Chase Adams.

"Is that okay, Nathan?" Quinn asked him, raising her eyebrows.

Nathan looked at her, blinking in confusion. "What?" He asked her, clearing his throat. He saw the look of disappointment on Clay's face. Dammit, Scott. Get it together and focus.

"Can you give a toast after dinner?" Quinn asked, sending him a small smile.

Hell no. Nope, nope, nope. But he could see it in his best friend's eyes that he wanted him to agree, so he offered Quinn a small nod, before smiling.

"Absolutely." He said, letting out a deep breath. "You look very beautiful tonight, Quinn. Really." He said to her.

Quinn smiled at him, resting her hand on his shoulder for a brief moment, "Thanks, Nathan."

Nathan nodded, looking at Clay. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go catch up with Chase." He said softly, making his way to the open bar, leaning against it.

"Chase, my man." He said, grinning slightly. "I'm surprised he let your sorry ass bartend."

"Very funny." Chase laughed, smiling at him. "I'm a pro now, check it out." He said, tossing a cup into the air, nearly missing it, but saving it just in time.

"I can see that." Nathan said, laughing.

"What can I get for you?" Chase asked him, raising his eyebrows.

Beer. Vodka. Anything with alcohol, really. But Clay's words rang in the back of his mind.

"Water." He decided, letting out a deep breath.

"Sexy." Chase laughed, handing Nathan a glass of water. "You know, I could put some vodka in there. It looks pretty much like water."

"I better not. Maybe later though." Nathan chuckled, looking down at his water glass, tracing his fingers along the wood grains of the bar.

A woman stepped up next to him, and he kept his gaze on the wood. Not tonight, Nathan. He reminded himself. She could be Clay's sister for all he knew. But he was pretty sure he didn't have a sister.

"I'll take a water." She ordered, smiling at Chase.

Nathan glanced up at her, and her head was turned away from him, looking towards the people scattered about the room.

"Interesting choice of drink." Nathan said, smirking slightly. "What's the reason for it?"

Haley's head turned to him. Brown eyes met blue. She gasped quietly, taking a step back.

Nathan's eyes widened, his jaw dropping a little bit.

They stayed there for a moment, silently staring at each other. Chase probably feeling very confused and uncomfortable.

Nathan finally spoke first, his words hardly more than a whisper.

"It's you!"


	2. Chapter 2

**I was very pleased with the feedback from the first Chapter! Thank you so much! Since I already had this typed up, here's Chapter 2**

 **Chapter 2**

 _Haley sat on the beach, shifting slightly on her sand covered beach towel, shaking her head. She knew it was a bad idea to come to the beach and possibly soak up some sun while she read her book. Now her book was just covered in sand. She'd probably never get it off any of the pages. A wet kid had run past her and flicked water all over it. This was definitely a bad idea._

 _She let out a deep breath, adjusting the t-shirt that she was wearing, looking around at all of the people. California always had a lot of people. Everywhere she turned there was someone new, or cars stuck in traffic. She had come to visit the Stanford campus, and her parents cut out on her to spend the day together, telling her to explore the city that she would hopefully attend college in. After researching the best and closest beaches, she settled on one that was about a half an hour car ride away. Mistake on her part. The sun was nice, and the beach was beautiful. But she could not figure out why there were so many people on the beach at nine o'clock in the morning on a Thursday? Most of them looked like they should be in school. She herself had taken the week off school to come explore the campus, returning back home tomorrow morning._

 _She looked up from her book when a volleyball landed next to her, letting out a small sigh. Reading was pointless at this beach. In Tree Hill, the beach would be fairly quiet at this time. California was different._

 _She looked up when a dark haired, very fit boy that looked around her age came rushing over, scooping up the volleyball before she had a chance to hand it to him._

 _He nearly turned away without a word, before looking down at her, the smirk on his face growing._

 _"Sorry about that." He said, tossing the ball back to where his friends were._

 _Haley looked up at him, raising her sunglasses on top of her head. "Don't worry about it." She said, sending him a small smile, before looking down at her book._

 _Nathan couldn't help himself from staring. She was damn beautiful, and he'd never seen her before. Something about her caught his attention. Maybe it was the fact that she was reading on the beach. Or the fact that she was wearing a t-shirt rather than trying to flaunt her body. Or the fact that his future may have flashed before his eyes when he looked into her brown ones. So he made the decision, and took a seat next to her._

 _Haley raised her eyebrows, dropping her sunglasses back down over her eyes once again, ignoring his presence next to her._

 _He waved over towards his friends, telling them to continue without him. "What are you reading?" He asked her._

 _She blew out a deep breath, looking in his direction once again. "Shakespeare." She said, nodding at him._

 _"To be or not to be, that is the question." He said, smirking at her, digging his hands into the sand behind him, leaning back and stretching out his legs._

 _She raised her eyebrows once again. "You like Shakespeare?" She asked him._

 _Nathan shifted slightly, "Uh..." He looked down. "No." He finished. "I couldn't even tell you what that's from. Romeo and Juliet maybe? To be honest, I didn't think that through. Didn't know you would ask follow up questions."_

 _Haley smiled slightly, shaking her head. "Hamlet." She said slowly, nodding at him._

 _"That's your name?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows._

 _"No, that's what the quote is from." She laughed, rolling we eyes._

 _He may be thinking crazy, but that laugh was the one he wanted to hear for the rest of his life. But he could tell that she was different. He glanced over towards his friends, letting out a deep sigh. He'd slept with every one of the girls over there. This girl wouldn't fall for him._

 _"My, uh, half-brother likes that stuff." Nathan said, gesturing to her book, shrugging slightly. "I don't know why I said half-brother. It's not like you know anything about me. We'll just go with brother."_

 _"Do you know his favorite?" Haley asked, wiping the sand off the pages of her book, placing a marker in, and turning her head to look at him._

 _Romeo and Juliet, and now Hamlet were the two names that he could think of off the top of his head. Those were lame answers. She said she was reading Shakespeare though, so he glanced down at her book, before reading the title out loud._

 _"Julius Caesar." He said lamely, mentally kicking himself when a knowing look spread across her face._

 _"Oh, really? That's so weird, that happens to be the one that I was reading!" Haley said, holding up the book._

 _"Funny how life does crazy things like that." He said, smiling at her. "Maybe I was supposed to meet you so I could tell you that interesting fact about my brother. Fate, possibly. Who knows."_

 _She laughed, feeling her stomach flutter. He was really cute. And toned. She had a nice view of his torso from where she was sitting._

 _"Or maybe it's like you looked down at the cover of my book and read it out loud." She said, nodding at him._

 _"Who knows." He said, shrugging his shoulders, taking the book from her, flipping through the pages, before handing it back. "Too many words for me."_

 _"If a book has a lot of words, that just means you get to read it for a longer period of time." She informed him, pushing on his inner elbow, causing one arm to collapse a little bit._

 _"Hey!" He laughed, shaking his head and smiling at her. "You got a name?"_

 _"Maybe." She said, shrugging her shoulders._

 _"Hey, "Maybe." I'm "Possibly." It's nice to meet you." He said, smirking at her._

 _She rolled her eyes, looking out at the ocean, letting out a deep breath. "I don't know if I should give out my personal information to random guys I meet on the beach."_

 _"I'm not asking for your social security number. I just want to know the name of the beautiful girl that will be appearing in my dreams tonight." Nathan said, smirking at her._

 _"That was such a line! Now you're going to have to wait even longer before I decide to tell you." She laughed, shrugging her shoulders._

 _"All I'm hearing is that you want to continue spending time with me." He said, taking her sunglasses off her face, placing them on his own._

 _He already frustrated her. But in a good way. What, did he think he owned the place? Taking up space on her towel, flipping through her book? Now taking her sunglasses? Normally, it would annoy her a lot. But with him... She found it oddly charming._

 _"What about a story? Do you have one of those?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows and smiling, adjusting her sunglasses on his face._

 _"I'm here touring Stanford." Haley informed him, shrugging slightly._

 _"You've caught my attention. Keep going, please." He said sarcastically, shaking his head._

 _"You asked!" She said, reaching over and pulling her sunglasses back, smiling slightly when their eyes connected. She wasn't sure she'd ever seen eyes so blue in her life._

 _"Where are you from?" Nathan asked her, letting out a deep breath._

 _"You think information is cheap? I've got another thing coming for you, buddy. I expect breakfast if you want to know more about me." She teased him, shaking her head._

 _"Okay." He said simply, standing up._

 _"No, I was just kidding." Haley responded, shrugging slightly. "Really, I was."_

 _"I'm not." He said, holding out his hand to her. "I want to take you to breakfast."_

 _Haley looked up at him, taking his hand slowly, blinking as he pulled her up to her feet very quickly. He was strong. She slid her shoes on, setting her book in the bag she'd brought, picking up her towel and shaking it out before it followed the book into the bag._

 _"Let me tell my friends I'm leaving." He said, nodding at her._

 _Haley expected him to leave her standing there, waiting for him. But instead he grabbed onto her hand, a smirk on his face as he led her over to the people he was previously with. He definitely was cocky._

 _"Hey guys." He said, smiling over at Haley. "I'm going to head out. I'll catch up with you later." He said, sliding on his socks and shoes, picking up his t-shirt and pulling it over his head._

 _"You wear running shoes to the beach?" Haley asked him, raising her eyebrows._

 _"I do when I run here." Nathan chuckled, grabbing onto her hand once again. "Let me show you where the best place is to get breakfast."_

 _This was crazy. He was already holding her hand, and she wasn't even close to pulling hers away. In fact, she wanted to hold on even tighter._

 _He reached over, taking the beach bag from her, shifting it on his own shoulder. "I've always thought there were advantages to carrying a purse, you know. Plenty of space to keep things. And I know this isn't a purse, but I think that I'm seriously pulling it off. What do you think?" He asked her._

 _Haley laughed, making the decision to return his flirtatious banter with some of her own._

 _"Sexy. It suits you well." She said, winking at him._

 _Nathan felt his smile grow as he led her into a little cafe just off the beach. "I appreciate that." He said, pulling out her chair for her once they were led to their table, taking a seat across from her._

 _He ordered pancakes and water, raising his eyebrows when she ordered french fries and apple juice._

 _"It's morning." He stated, smirking at her. "French fries for breakfast?"_

 _"I'm from the east coast. It's lunch time there." She said, smirking at him. "Unless there's a problem? I can always change my order."_

 _"Of course not. In fact. I like the way you think." He said, standing up quickly, rushing over to the waitress, quickly changing his order, before heading back over to the table. "I threw in a milkshake as well. Told her to bring two straws, because you never know." He said, winking at her._

 _Haley smiled at him, laughing and shaking her head. "I suppose not." She responded, crossing her legs under the table. She felt his foot nudge against hers, raising her eyebrows. "Are you really doing that?"_

 _"Accident." He said, shrugging his shoulders. "Won't happen again." He said, grinning cheekily at her._

 _He was arrogant. She both disliked it, and loved it at the same time, if that was possible. One morning of flirting with a hot guy was harmless._

 _"So, East Coast, hm?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows. "I have some family over there. Which state?"_

 _"North Carolina." She said, smiling at him._

 _"My uncle lives there. Cooper Lee? You know him by any chance?" Nathan questioned her._

 _Haley shook her head, feeling a little disappointed. She didn't know him, yet she suddenly wanted to._

 _"What brings you all the way to Stanford?" He asked, raising his eyebrows._

 _"It's my dream school." She said, smiling at him. "I went with my sister when she toured it, and I just fell in love."_

 _"So you have a sister." He said, leaning back, folding his hands behind his head._

 _"I have three sisters. And three brothers." She informed him, shrugging. "There are seven of us."_

 _"Really? That's so many." He chuckled, letting out a deep breath. "Where do you fall on the scale?"_

 _"I'm the baby." She said, shaking her head. "I think my parents are relieved to be child free. Where do you fall?"_

 _Nathan shifted slightly, looking down at the table, before looking up at her. "I guess you could say I'm the baby as well." He chuckled, shrugging. "I have the one brother. He's three months older than me."_

 _"Oh." Haley said, suddenly feeling a little nervous about her question. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"_

 _"No, it's fine. It's a little complicated." He said, waving his hand and leaning forward, resting his elbow on the table, his cheek in his palm. "Not to tell a girl I barely know my whole life story, but basically his mom dated my dad in high school. Dad got her pregnant, left her. Met my mom, got her pregnant. Married her." He said, chuckling. "I didn't start talking to him until this year, actually. When he joined the basketball team."_

 _"So you play basketball." Haley said, changing the subject and smiling at him._

 _"Yeah, I do. So look for me in a few years, I'll be on billboards, all over your TV screen. You can tell your friends that you met me when I was junior in high school." He said, grinning at her._

 _"I'm a junior too." Haley said, shrugging slightly. "And I don't really watch sports."_

 _"Check please." Nathan called, raising up his hand and grinning at her. "Just kidding. That's too bad. Maybe if we date I'll get you to like them."_

 _"If we date." Haley laughed, rolling her eyes. "I live on the opposite side of the country. You don't even know my name."_

 _"I'm sure it's beautiful. There's a certain type of mystery to this. Do you not consider what we're on right now to be a first date?" He asked, raising his eyebrows._

 _"I don't even know you!" She said, shaking her head. "I don't know."_

 _"Well, it's a date." He assured her, resting his hand on hers for a brief moment._

 _"Where are you from?" Haley asked him, raising her eyebrows._

 _"Stanford, actually. Believe it or not. Born and raised, unfortunately. I don't like it much. I live in a house between here and Stanford. About a fifteen minute drive to either places." He informed her, crossing his arms._

 _"You must know all of the great places to go. I do plan on attending school here in a couple years, so maybe I can have a leg up on everyone else?" She suggested, tracing her finger around the table._

 _"Are you actually suggesting we spend the day together?" He asked, grinning at her. "Because I say hell yes to that."_

 _"Why aren't you in school today?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows._

 _"Day off today and tomorrow." He said, shrugging his shoulders, tugging on the collar of his t-shirt. "What are you doing tomorrow?"_

 _"Flying home." She said simply, shrugging her shoulders. She desperately wished she wasn't, of course. After meeting him... There was something that made her want to stay. Pursue him._

 _"To?" He pushed a little, grinning at her._

 _"A little town called Tree Hill. Have you ever heard of it?" She finally told him, nodding her head._

 _"Nope." He chuckled, sighing. "But if you live there, it must be a damn good place. What are you like at home?"_

 _"Well, I study hard." She said, shrugging. "It was difficult for me to take the time off school, not because I'd struggle to catch up, I just simply don't like to miss."_

 _"Opposites attract, they say." He said, smiling at her. "Maybe you can help me with my homework while you're here." He joked. "My tutor sucks. I'm barely keeping my head above water."_

 _"You may have just turned this into my dream vacation. I'd be happy to help, if you needed me to." She said, smiling at him._

 _He looked at her, raising his eyebrows. "I may just take you up on that. I don't know if I'd be able to focus, though. Having someone as hot as you tutoring me."_

 _"I'm sure I could find ways to convince you." She hummed, winking at him._

 _"You really are something special. I can already tell you that." Nathan said, grinning at her. "I'm going to kiss you tonight, so be prepared for that. If you have a list of things you need to check off before then, so be it."_

 _She blinked at him, raising her eyebrows. "You have to be under six-foot." She said, shrugging. "If I have to stand on my toes, you're too tall."_

 _"I'm 5'11", so you're in luck." He said, winking at her._

 _"Really?" She asked him, shaking her head. "I don't believe you."_

 _"Six foot two." He grumbled, shaking his head. "But you're like five foot, so really this isn't fair for me either!" He protested._

 _"Five-four!" She argued, rolling her eyes ad crossing her arms. "I guess if it's unfair to both of us, you won't be kissing me."_

 _"Oh, I will be. If you don't want me to kiss you by the time the day is over, I guess I won't. But I already want to kiss you." He said simply, shrugging._

 _There was that cockiness. She really usually hated it on guys. But she was enthralled by him. If his words were true, she probably would let him kiss her._

 _Haley was about to say something when two plates of French fries were set in front of the table, as well as their individual drinks, then a tall milkshake._

 _"You weren't kidding." She laughed, looking at him._

 _He shook his head, setting a straw in, gesturing for her to do so._

 _She rolled her eyes, doing as she was told, before leaning forward and taking a drink of it, their eyes connecting._

 _She pulled back, laughing and pushing it towards him. "I can't. It feels too cheesy."_

 _"It's romantic!" He argued, shaking his head. "Whatever, more for me." He grumbled, letting out a deep breath._

 _Haley smiled at him, resting her hand on the table, poking out her fingers to brush against his, before turning her attention to the plate of fries in front of her. It was one day. This was going to be harmless flirting. A short-lived, day long romance that she could describe to her children one day. She was going to make the most of it._

 _"You don't have a boyfriend, do you?" He asked her suddenly, raising his eyebrows._

 _"No. I'm currently in the phase where I'm working to be valedictorian, and get into Stanford. Guys don't fit into there as well as you would think. At least not the kind of guys in Tree Hill." She said, shrugging her shoulders._

 _"What kinds of guys do they have in Tree Hill?" He asked her, nodding slowly._

 _"It pains me to say this, but mostly jerks. My last boyfriend was an ass." She shook her head, rolling her eyes._

 _Nathan had never met this guy, and he most likely never would. But he wanted to punch him in the face, just from the way she said his name. He didn't want to pry, but he also couldn't help himself._

 _"What happened?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows, frowning slightly._

 _Haley shrugged, letting out a deep breath. "Well... It's not really your business, but basically I wouldn't sleep with him, so he fulfilled his needs elsewhere. After he tried to get with my best friend, of course." She said, tapping her fingers on the table._

 _"Dick." Nathan grumbled, shaking his head. "I'm sorry." He said softly, reaching over and giving her hand a light squeeze. "I used to be a jerk. I still am, but not as bad. I would go from girl to girl like it was nothing. I had a girlfriend at the beginning of the year. I never really cheated on her, not physically anyways. But we broke up a lot, and I took that as an opportunity to get with other girls until we got back together." He said, letting out a deep breath. "I bullied my own brother until finally he'd had enough, and told me where to put my big mouth. Now he's one of my best friends. Within the last six months." Nathan had no idea why he was telling her this. She could've gone on for the whole day, and thought he was this perfectly charming guy. But he wanted her to know him._

 _Haley nodded slowly, sending him a small smile. "I'm glad that I met this guy, then." She said softly, shrugging slightly._

 _"Me too. Because that guy wouldn't have even made it to sitting in the sand next to you before you turned him away." Nathan chuckled, nodding at her._

 _"What makes you say that?" She asked, raising her eyebrows._

 _"You seem like the type of girl that doesn't want to deal with the bullshit." He said simply, smiling at her. "Let me tell you. Starting now, I won't lie to you. Besides, I only lied about my height and my interest in Shakespeare." He chuckled, holding out his hand for her to shake._

 _Haley shook his hand, a smile playing at her lips. "Alright. I like that." She said, before turning back to eating her fries._

 _They spent the whole day together. Every minute. Haley had actually accompanied Nathan back to his house, to where she helped him with his homework, before going to lunch with him, which he considered to be their second date._

 _They were currently at dinner, which she had beat him to it, referring to it as their third date, which caused him to laugh. They'd spent the whole entire day, just the two of them. And they had yet to learn each other's names. She knew his last name. Scott. The only way she found that out was because it was imprinted on the mailbox in front of his house. Surprisingly, they knew nearly every other detail about each other's lives. He knew she hated the color pink. She knew his favorite color was blue. And just from looking into his eyes, it was quickly becoming her favorite color as well. She knew that he was proud of getting a 78 on a test. He knew she would breakdown if she got anything less than an 89. He knew her parents were free spirit, go with the flow types of people. She knew that he had a rocky relationship with both of his parents, especially his father since he befriended his brother._

 _Two people that had learned so much about each other in one day, still had yet to know each other's first names, it was ridiculous. But why would they need to know names if they were alone constantly, only referring to each other?_

 _He briefly dropped her off at her hotel, waiting outside the bathroom so that she could change out of her bathing suit. Her parents weren't at the hotel, thankfully. It would've been odd to explain the situation to them._

 _And now they were at dinner. Nearing the end of their day together._

 _"So tell me..." He trailed off, smiling at her. "How am I doing? On a scale of one to ten. How would you rate these three dates?" He asked, thanking the waiter that handed them their menus._

 _"Really, falling in love with you all depends on how you react to my go to dinner order." Haley joked with him, smiling slightly. "I'd say you're at a solid seven. I'll throw in an extra point because you're easy on the eyes. An eight."_

 _"Your dinner order? Couldn't be any weirder than your breakfast." He chuckled, tugging on the collar of his polo shirt, shifting in his seat._

 _"You enjoyed that!" Haley laughed, smiling at him. "I take pride in everything about myself. I like being weird."_

 _Nathan smiled at her, reaching out and grabbing her hand, hesitating for a brief moment, before kissing her knuckles lightly. "I like that."_

 _Haley's cheeks tinted red, letting out a deep breath. "I like that you like that." She said, nodding at him._

 _"I think that you're outstanding." He blurted out, looking down at the table, shaking his head. "That was terrible. Not smooth at all."_

 _She laughed, looking at him. She couldn't help but admire him. To anyone around, they must look like two people that have known each other for awhile. And it almost felt like that. It was special. The connection they had. It was a shame that they lived on different sides of the country. She didn't think that she could handle a boyfriend, let alone a long distance relationship. She thought back to the brief moment they had laid on his bed earlier today. She was very unimpressed when he led her into his bedroom, about to protest, before he pulled another chair up to his desk, and grabbed his backpack off the bed, pulling out some books. After finishing his homework, they had both ended up laying on his bed, staring up at the ceiling, arms touching. Every once and awhile his fingers would brush against hers, briefly hooking them together, before they went back to informing each other about their different lives._

 _She was brought out of her thoughts by the waiter returning, smiling slightly and ordering her favorite: Mac and Cheese._

 _Nathan almost choked when she said that, his eyebrows raised. He ordered prime rib quickly, before looking at her. "You're crazy!" He laughed, shaking his head._

 _"I told you! It's the food of gods." She said, shrugging her shoulders._

 _"Yeah, okay. If the gods are five years old." He chuckled, shaking his head. "They put that on the kids menu. Not for anyone older than twelve."_

 _"Whatever. It doesn't matter." She said simply, shrugging. "I like it."_

 _Nathan's breath hitched in his throat, his gaze narrowing on her. He'd never felt this strongly about anyone, let alone after one day. It was a spectacular feeling. So comfortable around someone. He could tell her anything about himself, and not feel like she was judging him, or pitying him. She had left her mark on his life, that's for sure. He wanted to chase the feeling in his heart._

 _"Okay." He said simply, shaking his head and laughing. "You know what you want. I respect that."_

 _"Thank you. You've officially become a ten." She joked, winking at him and smiling._

 _"Yes!" He said in victory, raising his fist up. "I think this is the highest achievement I've ever achieved." He said, shaking his head._

 _Haley laughed, rolling her eyes. "I'm glad that I could be the one you achieved it with." She said, nodding at him. She looked at him, smiling slightly. "You know, we never talked about what you're like at school."_

 _Nathan looked at her, letting out a deep breath. "An asshole, like I told you earlier. But I'm working on it." He said simply, shrugging. "I used to make fun of people to make myself feel better, or beat up the freshman. Just because I could. But like I said, I'm working on it. I have a temper." He said, looking down. "It's hard to keep it in check sometimes."_

 _She smiled at him, "The hardest thing to do is admit that you need to change. Followed by actually changing." She said, shrugging. "I think that you're a great guy."_

 _Nathan smiled at her, letting out a deep breath. "That means a lot to me." He said simply._

 _"I'm glad." She said softly, nodding at him._

 _They continued to talk, the smile never leaving either of their faces. Both of them laughing a lot more than they had in a long time._

 _At around ten o'clock, Nathan led her up to her hotel room, stopping in front of the door and looking at her, smiling sadly. "This is where I leave you." He said, letting out a deep breath._

 _Haley looked up at him, frowning slightly. She didn't want it to happen. It was crazy, but she didn't want to leave him._

 _Nathan held up one finger, pulling out a box from his pocket. "One last thing to remember me by." He said, holding up a box of Cracker Jacks. "If it's a ring, I'll propose to you right now." He chuckled, winking down at her._

 _She laughed, watching him open the package. He closed his eyes for a moment, before tearing it open, pulling a colored bracelet out of the wrapping._

 _"This works, I guess." He chuckled, holding it open a bit wider with his hand, lifting hers and sliding it onto her wrist. "Don't say I never gave you anything." He said, smirking at her._

 _Haley looked up at him, her heart racing. This was absolutely crazy. She'd never done anything like this. She'd met people, and never seen or talked to them again plenty of times. But never had she spent the whole day with someone, and left them without learning their name._

 _She threw her arms around his neck, pulling him down slowly._

 _Nathan smiled, his arms wrapping around her waist, tugging her up lightly and meeting her halfway, kissing her softly._

 _Haley wasn't sure how long they'd kissed. Probably a solid five minutes. It escalated quickly from a soft kiss, to him pressing her body up against the wall outside of her hotel room._

 _But it ended too quickly. Much too quickly._

 _She blinked her eyes open when he parted, watching as he gave her another sad smile, pressing one last kiss to her lips._

 _He whispered a quiet goodbye, and then he was gone from her arms. He walked to the elevator, making eye contact with her, and raising his hand to wave goodbye to her, before the doors shut._

 _Haley let out a deep breath, leaning back against the door, fiddling with the bracelet on her wrist. She didn't even know his name._

 _She'd never see him again._

Until now.


	3. Chapter 3

**I have been loving the feedback on this story! Thank you so much.**

 **Chapter 3**

"It's you!"

Those two words made Haley's world stop. She stepped back a little bit further, staring at him with wide eyes. She couldn't respond. She was literally speechless. She didn't know what to say. She'd come to terms with the fact that she'd never see him again. It was one day, there was no reason for her to dwell on a boy that she'd spent one day with. But that had not stopped her from looking around for him during her time at Stanford, just to see if he happened to be in the same place as her, even though she knew he was most likely off at some basketball college.

She couldn't help herself, reaching out her hand and poking his chest softly, letting out a deep breath when her finger came in contact with his hard body. "It's you." She repeated back to him.

Nathan grinned at her, looking down at her hand, his gaze meeting hers once again. The hope he felt looking into her eyes was indescribable. How the hell was this happening? The girl was standing right in front of him. The girl. The one that he secretly hoped would walk through every open door. It was ridiculous to think about. After one day together, he would sometimes lay in bed and wonder what happened to her. What life could've been like if he had made the decision to stay in Stanford. He often wondered what the nameless girl had become. He was sure that she was successful. He looked over her body, smirking slightly. She looked gorgeous. She looked just as gorgeous in the fitted dress as she did wearing a baggy t-shirt over a swimsuit that he never got to see her in. Her hair was darker and cut to her shoulders, rather than long and honey blonde. But he'd recognize her anywhere.

Did they hug? Did they shake hands? What were they supposed to do in this situation?

"It's you." He said once more, taking a small step to her, his hand resting on her shoulder, letting out a deep breath.

"It's Chase." Chase said from behind the bar, nudging Haley's water closer to her, giving the two of them a weird look, before moving to help someone else.

Nathan couldn't even bring himself to look at Chase, even as Haley's eyes glanced over to him. He couldn't look away from her.

Haley looked back at him, still unsure what to say to him, her heart still pounding. She took him in. He seemed to be doing well by his obviously custom made suit, and expensive looking hair cut. Maybe all his dreams had come true for him. He looked the same, His jaw was a little sharper, his shoulders were broader, and she could tell that he was more muscular, but he was the same. Yet, there was something about him that was different. His eyes looked duller, his posture wasn't as confident, and she couldn't help but wonder about that.

"What... What are you doing here?" He finally asked her, giving her shoulder a light squeeze, before letting his hand fall to his side.

Haley gestured around lamely, letting out a deep breath, attempted to clear her clouded thoughts.

"Quinn is my sister." She finally said, biting her lip and looking up at him. "You're not, um... One of my long lost cousins, are you?"

Nathan felt his heart stop in his chest. What did Clay say Quinn's sister's name was? Shit, shit, shit.

"You not answering isn't helping." She said, raising her eyebrows and letting out a deep breath.

Haley! That was it. He smirked at her, taking another step towards her, looking down at her. "You're Haley?" He asked her, nodding slowly.

The way he said her name... It gave her chills. She wanted him to say it again. And again.

"Yes." She said softly, nodding in confirmation. "You must be here for Clay, then." She said quietly to him, smiling up at him.

"Yes. Definitely not a cousin." He whispered, letting out a deep breath.

"Nathan!" Clay said, walking over to him and resting his hand on his shoulder. "There you are, I've been looking for you."

Nathan. So that was his name. Haley let out a deep breath as it suddenly clicked in her head. Clay's best man. The jerk that Quinn was talking about was her mystery boy. A jerk. As much as it killed her, she took a small step away from him. She couldn't get caught up in another jerk right now.

Nathan looked at Clay, letting out a deep breath. "I told you where I was going, Clay." He grumbled, shaking his head, glancing back at Haley, his annoyed expression softening.

Clay stepped to the counter, picking up Nathan's drink and holding it to his nose. "Water. Good." He said, letting out a sigh of relief.

Just like that, all his confidence was gone. He looked at Haley once again, before he cast his eyes to the ground. She looked too good for him seven years ago, and the same was still true today. But it was even more true now. He didn't deserve anything more than his random bar hook ups. He wasn't the same guy.

"Clay, it's nice to see you again." Haley said, clearing her throat, forcing her eyes to move to Clay.

"Hey Haley." Clay said, moving to stand at Haley's side, wrapping his arm around her shoulders almost... Protectively. "I see that you've met Nathan."

"Oh, I most certainly have." Haley said, looking over at Nathan and sending him a grin. For some reason, she wanted to see that cocky smirk again, rather than the ashamed face he had now. She wanted the confidence. So if she had to feed his ego, she was going to do it.

"And he's even more handsome than Quinn described him." She said, winking at him.

Nathan smirked slightly, rubbing his neck and looking at her, rolling his eyes. "I wish you would've told me how beautiful Quinn's family was. I might've made the trip to Tree Hill with you when you visited."

"So you do listen to me when I tell you where I'm going." Clay joked, looking down at Haley, shifting slightly. "Where's Chris?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows.

Nathan's face fell once again. She had a boyfriend. Dammit.

"Oh, it's a long story." Haley responded, letting out a deep breath and shaking her head. "One that's not worth my breath. He's not here." She said simply, looking over at Nathan.

"I'm sorry." Clay said, sending her a small nod, before following her gaze to Nathan. "Hey Nate. I saw Lucas come in. Why don't you go greet him?" He suggested.

Nathan shook his head, "I see him all the time." He said, shrugging. "Why don't you go greet him? It is your rehearsal dinner, after all."

"He's your brother." Clay said, letting out a deep breath. "I'm sure he's looking for you."

"Go ahead and go, Nathan." Haley said, sending him a reassuring smile. "We'll talk later." She said, letting out a deep breath.

Nathan looked at her, smiling slightly, to her, leaning down and kissing her cheek lightly. "We better." He said, giving her arm a soft squeeze, before heading away, glancing over his shoulder at her.

Clay let out a deep breath, rubbing his neck. "So you met Nathan."

Haley leaned against the bar, watching Nathan go, smiling brightly, her cheeks tinted red still. "Yes. He seems great."

Clay shifted slightly, looking at her. "Haley." He said, resting his hand on her arm. "I know it's not my place..." He began. "But I'm saying this as his best friend, and your soon to be brother in law. Don't get involved with him."

She raised her eyebrows, looking up at him. "We were just having a conversation, Clay." She said, crossing her arms.

"Nathan doesn't have conversations with women." Clay said simply, letting out a deep breath.

"What does that mean?" She questioned him, raising her eyebrows. He was starting to annoy her. He was being vague, yet so obvious at the same time. It made her upset that he would stand there and say these things about him. Or did it make her upset because she was worried the things he was saying were true?

"The kind of girl that Nathan is interested in... Well, they're usually more like Taylor." Clay said simply, shrugging his shoulders.

Haley let out a deep breath, nodding slowly. She knew what that meant. Part of her didn't believe it. But... She honestly did not know him. But, she wasn't sure that anything he was saying was going to stop her.

Clay rubbed his neck, "He's a great guy, Haley. One of the best." He said softly, tapping his fingers on the bar, looking over at Chase, before looking back at her. "He's just been through a lot." He said quietly, looking around.

That intrigued her. She wanted to know what happened to him, to make his best friend move in with him, make him give up on being the guy that he was trying to be. She wanted to know what happened to the fire that she saw in his eyes after one day of knowing him.

She wasn't going to ask Clay, though. If Clay had not even told Quinn, it was probably a very private thing that Nathan didn't want people to know about.

"Thankfully, I'm an adult and I can talk to men without throwing myself that them." Haley said in response, shrugging slightly. It probably came out much more bitter than she meant it to, since Clay was just trying to look after her.

Clay nodded his head, "I know. I have to get back to Quinn. But really, Haley. Be careful." He said softly, squeezing her shoulder lightly. "I'll see you later." He said, smiling at her, before heading away.

Haley looked around until she found Nathan, sending him a small smile when their eyes connected. He looked like he probably wasn't paying any attention to the man he was talking to, who she assumed was Lucas. Nathan. The name alone just made her heart flutter. What were the odds that his best friend and her sister were getting married? It was crazy. She probably could've seen him again before today, had she decided to go visit Quinn in New York, or had he agreed to make the trip down to Tree Hill with his friend. She couldn't let this go. Regardless of what Clay had said to her, she was drawn to him. She wanted to know about him. She wanted to feel his presence around her. She wanted the butterflies she felt when she was sixteen. So she was going to listen to his warnings, and proceed with caution, but she was still going to proceed.

xxxx

Nathan and Haley had not found a chance to talk. Either one of them being swooped away by a member of the James family, or by a member of Clay's family. But neither of them could focus on really anyone but each other.

At dinner, Nathan was seated next to Clay, and Haley next to Quinn. They would both poke their heads forward a bit and smile at each other every once and awhile, almost as if to make sure the other was actually there.

Nathan looked at Clay when he felt him nudge him slightly, nodding towards the microphone on the stage, winking at him

"Make me proud, buddy." Clay said, smirking slightly.

Nathan let out a deep sigh, standing up slowly, picking up his glass of water. "You know, it's pretty lame when you make someone do a toast with water, Clay." He grumbled, brushing past Haley, dropping something on the ground next to her as he went.

Haley smiled at Nathan, glancing down to see a folded napkin, leaning over and picking it up slowly, opening it in hopes that her sister wouldn't see it.

There was writing on the cloth napkin. Normally, she'd be annoyed at someone would do this to something that so obviously was not supposed to be written on. But for some reason, she didn't care.

'Haley- Took me forever to find a damn pen. Do you know how many purses I had to sit and wait for Clay's aunts to go through while they tried to find it for me. Anyways, meet me in the hotel lobby. As soon a dinner is over. I think we should talk. -Nathan'

She smiled slightly, letting out a deep breath, folding the napkin so the writing was no longer visible, setting it in her lap and looking up at Nathan as he reached the microphone. She looked over as Clay demonstrated what Nathan was supposed to do, imitating tapping his silverware on the glass.

Nathan shook his head, opting to tap on the microphone instead.

"I'm not a man of many words, as many of you may know. And I don't know why I was asked to give a speech tonight, since they told me I have to give one tomorrow too." Nathan said, shaking his head and tugging on his tie. He shifted slightly, looking at Haley and smiling. "Clay is the best guy I know, and Quinn brings out the best of him. So, here's to the future." He said, holding up his cup, winking at Haley.

Haley smiled slightly, letting out a deep breath. He looked nervous standing up there, and while Haley found it so adorable, she wanted to know why he was nervous. He didn't seem like that type of guy. Maybe it was all the people, maybe it was the "he's been through a lot" Clay was telling her earlier, and she didn't want to think this, but maybe it was her.

Quinn nudged her, nodding. "You're up, superstar. Let's see if you can top that." She said, smiling at her.

Haley stood up, brushing past Nathan on her way up, taking a moment to let her hand come in contact with his arm. She stepped up to the microphone, smiling.

"For those of you who don't know me, I'm Haley. Quinn's younger sister. I'm in the same boat as Nathan, not really sure why they're making us give two speeches. I memorized a six page speech, but I'll just give half of it tonight. So if I stop in the middle of a sentence, you'll know why." She joked, smiling at Nathan. "I could say millions of things about Clay and Quinn, but instead, I'll just keep it to a few. There's something special about seeing two people as in love as they are. It's not just love, it's respect, and kindness. They have the ability to talk things over, and make decisions together. It's something amazing, that I hope they never lose. I love you two, and to steal the words of my best man counterpart, here's to the future." She said, holding up her glass and smiling at them, before her gaze shifted to Nathan.

Nathan let out a deep breath, grinning slightly at her, tilting his head in her direction. He looked over at Clay, nodding at him, "That good enough for you, buddy?"

"I swear, Nate. You almost made me tear up." Clay said, laughing at his friend, looking over at Haley. "Thank you, Haley." He said, putting his arm around Quinn's chair.

Nathan slung his arm around Clay's neck, leaning forward. "Great speech, Haley." He said, smirking at her.

"Thank you, Nathan." She responded, nodding at him, before looking at Quinn. "Would you all excuse me for a minute?" She said, letting out a deep breath. "I'm going to call mom to see when their flight is going to be able to leave."

Quinn nodded up at her, squeezing her hand. "Alright. Thank you for the speech." She said softly, smiling at her sister. "If it's good news, tell me. Bad news, I don't want to know."

Haley smiled, nodding and standing up. "I'll find something positive to say." She chuckled, walking away from the table.

Nathan's eyes followed her, smirking slightly as he watched her leave the dining room, the napkin he'd written on in her hand. "So, tell me about her." He said, nodding in Haley's direction.

Quinn raised her eyebrows, looking up at Clay, who shook his head slightly, before her gaze moved over to Nathan. "She just got out of a year long relationship." She informed him, resting her hand on Clay's.

"No. Tell me about her." Nathan said, letting out a small sigh. "I don't want to know about her love life, I want to know about her. She's a teacher. Where'd she go to college?"

"Stanford." She confirmed, smiling slightly at him. "Valedictorian in high school, full scholarship, yada, yada, yada. She's a genius. It's annoying." Quinn said, shrugging. "Every conversation a person has with her, they either walk away feeling smarter, or feeling dumb."

For some reason, he felt a surge of pride rush through him as Quinn listed some of her accomplishments. He knew she was doing big things.

"Does she teach in Tree Hill?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Yeah. Literature." Quinn said slowly, nodding her head.

"Clay told me." He informed her, looking around. "Have you guys seen Lucas?"

Clay looked around, shrugging slightly. "He's over there." He said, nodding at the bar.

Nathan jumped up. Okay, the bar was close enough to the door, maybe no one would notice. Lucas was a good excuse. "I'll be back."

"Nathan-"

"I know, Clay. Get off my ass! No drinking." He muttered, sending him a forced smile, before heading over to the bar.

"Luke." He said quickly, resting his hand on his brother's shoulder. "I need your help. If Clay asks, I came and talked to you. Didn't order a drink. We just talked about... I don't know... Soap!" He said, shaking his head. "It's urgent." He said, nodding slightly at the girl standing next to Lucas. He was pretty sure her name started with a C. He wasn't sure though, it could've been a B, or a P, or a Z. Hell, there were 26 letters in the alphabet and it honestly could've been any one of them. But who really cared?

"Soap, Nathan?" Lucas asked him, shaking his head. "Are you drunk?"

"No, I'm not drunk, you ass. Just do what I'm telling you. I'll explain later." He said, waving his hand and letting out a deep breath, turning away, before turning around quickly. "Do I look... Put together?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

Lucas shook his head, stepping forward and tightening his younger brother's tie a bit, straightening it out. "This better not be a hook up, Nathan. Clay will be mad."

"I'll explain later." Nathan said once more, before turning and hurrying out, hoping Clay hadn't seen him.

Haley looked up when Nathan entered the lobby, her heart racing. She met him half way, stopping and staring up at him.

Nathan looked down at her, letting out a deep breath. "I can't believe it's you." He finally said, his hands reaching out hesitantly to cup her cheeks.

Haley's hand wrapped around his wrist, giving it a soft squeeze. She could tell he wasn't going to kiss her, though honestly, she wasn't completely opposed to the idea. He was almost wanted to make sure she was there.

"I can't believe it either. It's like a Hallmark movie or something." She responded quietly, kicking herself. Smooth.

He raised his eyebrows, looking down at her. "I'm not sure I follow." He said slowly, smirking slightly.

"You know... Ugh, never mind. I can't believe it's you." She said, squeezing his wrist once more. "I'm completely baffled, I just.,. Don't know what to say."

Nathan looked down at her, briefly touching his forehead to hers. "This has to mean something, I mean... Wow. It's completely random." He said, letting his hands fall to his side.

"What are the odds!" She said, looking up at him, taking a small step back. "This is amazing. I never, ever thought that I would see you again."

"You look beautiful." Nathan said, the same cocky smirk appearing on his face. "And you've always looked beautiful in my memory, but wow..." He said, trailing his eyes over her.

Haley rolled her eyes, shaking her head. Had it been anyone else, she would've given them an earful for so blatantly checking her out. She didn't understand why she didn't want to yell at him. Why she wanted him to do more than just look her over.

"Haley is a beautiful name." He said, nodding at her. "Beautiful name for a beautiful woman."

"You're really spitting out these compliments, aren't you?" She asked him, letting out a deep breath.

"I have seven years of compliments to spit out, Haley. Trust me." He said, reaching up and carefully tucking her hair behind her ear. "I want to know everything about you."

Haley smiled at him, biting her lip. "It might sound crazy, but... I always hoped I would run into you again. Maybe play a little less hard to get and tell you my damn name." She said, letting out a deep breath. "I can't believe this. I was going to visit Quinn about six months ago, but something came up... I could've seen you."

Nathan smirked at her, nodding slowly. "Clay invited me to go to Tree Hill with him." He said, shaking his head. "Can you believe this?" He asked, "I can't... I just... I can't believe you're here."

"I can't believe it either, Nathan." She said quietly, looking up at him. "I don't even know what to say."

"I've thought about you so many times over the last few years..." He trailed off, looking at her. "You look amazing."

"You really are trying to charm me." She teased him, letting out a deep breath.

"You have no idea..." He said, smiling at her. "I want to know about your life, Haley, I'm assuming your last name is James."

Haley nodded in confirmation, smiling up at him.

"Well, then I want to know all about your life, Haley James." He said, letting out a deep breath. "I would suggest we just cut out of here, but I feel like Clay wouldn't be very happy about it." He said softly, shrugging slightly.

"Probably not." She said, letting out a deep breath, looking down at the napkin in her hands, holding it up. "You know, you shouldn't write on these things."

Nathan rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "I do what I want." He said simply, shrugging his shoulders and smiling at her.

"And I always have a pen." She said, nodding at him. "So if you're every looking for one..."

"I couldn't ask you. I was writing you the note." He said, smirking at her, nodding at her slightly. "What do you say we go back in there? Then..." He glanced at the watch on his wrist. "I want to know about you."

"Information isn't cheap, you know." She joked, nudging him lightly.

Nathan's face broke out into a giant grin, "One step ahead of you. There's this place just down the street that has amazing fries. We might have to fend through the snow, though."

Haley looked him over, before meeting his gaze. "I'd say it's worth it." She said softly, smiling at him.

He nodded in response, taking the napkin from her hands, folding it, and putting it in the inside pocket of his jacket. He grabbed onto her hand, smirking at her, and pulling her back into the dining room.

xxxx

After making sure Clay went back to his hotel room, Nathan hurried down to the lobby once gain to wait for Haley, tugging his tie off and placing it in his pocket, letting out a deep breath and sitting in one of the chairs, pushing his hand through his hair.

He still couldn't believe this was happening to him. After everything he'd been through the last couple years, this felt like the first thing that was going right.

He looked up when he saw her walking towards him, hurrying to her quickly, raising his eyebrows. "Haley, you didn't even grab a coat? We're in New York. In December." He said, shaking his head and quickly stripping himself of his jacket, wrapping it around her shoulders.

"I just figured you could keep me warm." She said, tugging his jacket around her, slipping her arms into the sleeves, winking at him.

What was Quinn talking about when she said that Nathan was a jerk? He'd done nothing to put some truth to her words. It had only been one night since she'd seen him again, of course, but he seemed like a complete gentleman to her.

Nathan smiled at her, taking her hand. "You're going to freeze." He said, shaking her head. "Well, come on. Let's just hope it's not snowing right now." He chuckled, giving her hand a light squeeze.

Haley smiled at him, letting out a deep breath and looking down at their hands. He was still cocky. But he just seemed... Different. Of course he was different, it had been seven years since she'd last seen him. But he seemed unhappy, regardless of the smile on his face.

"Clay and I actually went here last night. Don't ask me why we're staying in a hotel when we live here. But I guess it's because the venue is pretty close, and it would be just like New York City traffic to make him late on his wedding day." Nathan said, shaking his head and letting out a deep breath, guiding her outside into the cold night. "I shouldn't let you come outside with me. It's too cold." He said, letting out a deep breath.

"I'm fine, Nathan." She said, smiling at him. "This is what I want. To be with you." She said, nodding at him slowly.

Nathan smiled at her, beginning to guide her down the street, looking around. "It's a very still night in the city that never sleeps." He said softly.

She looked up at him, before looking around. "Yeah." She responded.

Haley briefly thought back to Quinn's words earlier when they were discussing why Clay had a room mate, her gaze shifting back to Nathan. Why couldn't he be alone?

Nathan led her in a comfortable silence, before arriving at the cafe of choice, pulling open the door and gesturing for her to enter.

She smiled at him, heading inside, her hand falling into his once again as they walked over to a table, sitting down.

"We probably look like an odd pair." She said, chuckling quietly. "All dressed up."

"Quite the opposite of our first date, when we were wearing swimsuits." He said, winking at her. "This is our fourth date." He confirmed, nodding at her. "Can you believe we've been dating for seven years and we've only gone on four dates?"

Haley laughed, shaking her head. "Very funny." She said, giving his hand a soft squeeze. "Hate to break it to you, but I've been cheating on you."

"Likewise." Nathan responded, taking both of her hands and enveloping them in his own, squeezing them lightly until he felt the warmth return to them.

He looked up when a waiter came over to them, letting out a deep breath. "I'll have French fries." He said, winking at Haley. "Hales?"

Haley felt her heart stop as he called her that. She was sure he'd heard her be called that plenty of times tonight, but it felt perfect coming from him.

"Same." She said quietly, squeezing Nathan's hand.

"And a large milkshake." He added, grinning over at her before looking at the waiter.

The waiter nodded, writing it down, before looking at Nathan once again. "Wait a minute..." The teenage boy said, tapping his pen on the note pad. "I know you! You-" He stopped when Nathan shook his head quickly. "You, came in last night." He finished, "I'll have that right out for you, sir."

Haley couldn't help but wonder what the boy was talking about. She couldn't help but wonder a lot of things about the man in front of her.

"I won't do the milkshake thing with you." She finally said, smiling at him, making eye contact with him. His eyes looked a little more unhappy than they had fifteen seconds ago.

"I didn't want you to. It's all for me." He chuckled, raising her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles lightly.

"Good." Haley laughed, her cheeks tinting red at his actions.

"So tell me about your life. Stanford? Pretty big deal." He said, smirking at her.

"Thank you." She laughed, shaking her head. "No, I went to Stanford, got my degree in literature. Now I'm a teacher. That's really all there is to say about me."

"Do you like it?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows.

"Love it." She responded, letting out a deep breath. "I was a tutor in high school, and it's pretty much the same thing but now I get to write the lesson plans and control the class." She said, shrugging. "Now I have the power."

"My brother is a basketball coach on the side, and he says the same thing." Nathan informed her, letting out a deep breath.

"On the side of what?" Haley asked, smiling at him.

"He's an author." Nathan said, shrugging slightly. He watched as gears started turning in Haley's brain.

"Your brother is Lucas Scott?" She asked him quickly, raising her eyebrows. "The author Lucas Scott?"

Nathan nodded his head, "Yeah." He confirmed, chuckling quietly. "You know him?"

"Know him? I love his book! The way he writes, the words he chooses." She said, letting out a deep breath. "I don't mean to fan girl, but I can't believe I didn't recognize him when I saw him tonight."

"I've never read his book." Nathan said, tapping his finger on the table, sighing softly.

"It's so full of heartache and misery. I've been waiting for him to release another, but it hasn't been that long since the first." Haley said, smiling at him. "I can't believe you've been my boyfriend for seven years, and you've never told me this." She said playfully, smacking his arm.

"I can't believe you're freaking out over my brother while we're on a date." He said, shaking his head.

"I'm sorry! I've just read his book several times. It's really a special piece of work." She said, smiling at him.

Nathan nodded, brushing his thumb over her knuckles. Seeing her eyes light up was really a special piece of work to him. She was special. He'd known it from the second he talked to her, and he still knew it today. The way she carried herself, the facial expressions she made... They were special. They were art to him.

"Tell me more about you." He demanded, gesturing around. "After all, I am paying for information."

She smiled at him, "I wish I had more to tell you, really. I'm thinking about getting a dog." She laughed, shaking her head.

"Oh come on, between now and the last seven years, there must be something you haven't told me, Hales." He said, smirking at her. "Or before that, you know. Since we did only spend one day together."

"I didn't party much in college. I went to some parties, but it wasn't really my scene. There was this guy that would crash every single party that I ended up going to, even though I'm sure there were dozens of parties going on, it was just my luck that it would be the party I went to. And he was annoying." She chuckled, shaking her head. "He would show up and pretend like someone ordered pizza, and then just stay."

Nathan kinked one eyebrow, crossing his arms. "Shaggy brown hair?" He asked, nodding at her. "Says super weird things that make no sense?"

"Yeah." Haley said, nodding at him slowly, blinking.

"Do you know what his name was?" Nathan asked her, a smirk appearing on his face.

"He called himself 'The Tim' and he said it a lot." Haley said, letting out a deep breath.

Nathan burst into laughter, throwing his head back and shaking his head. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, quickly searching through some photos before holding it out to her.

Haley's eyes landed on Nathan in the picture, a small smile on her face. He couldn't have been much older than a sophomore in high school, holding a ping pong ball in his hand. She gaze moved over to a guy that was watching Nathan play, letting out a deep breath. "You know The Tim?" She laughed, looking at him.

"Best friend through out high school." Nathan chuckled, shaking his head. "Can't believe that tool pulled a trick like that."

She shook her head, smiling at him. "We have some connections, don't we? Not that I ever spoke to Tim, I avoided him. But there are some lines drawn between us." She said softly, looking at him.

"You know, I'm going to kiss you tomorrow night." He said, smirking at her, their food being set down in front of them before she could reply.

"Oh?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows. "What makes you say that?"

"I would say tonight, but if I start, then I don't know if I'll be able to stop, and I don't want to have to push Quinn and Clay out of the way in the middle of the ceremony and plant one on you." He said, winking at her.

"Well, what if I don't want you to kiss me?" She teased him, circling her fingers over the rim of her water.

"Then I guess I won't. But you will." He said simply, smiling at her. "Or else I won't introduce you to my brother."

"Shut up." Haley laughed, shaking her head. "I'm sorry for freaking out a bit. It was unexpected." She said, rolling her eyes. "I'm a lot more interested in knowing about you, Nathan." She said, reaching out her hand and grabbing onto his.

He grinned in response, scooting his chair forward a bit, nodding his head. "Good. Now tell me more."

"I'm running out of things to talk about." She laughed, "I just studied and worked hard, and now I still do the same. But I don't really know anything about your life, so why don't you tell me something, mystery man?" She sighed softly, shaking her head. "That sounded a lot better in my head."

Nathan's posture stiffened slightly, his eyes became clouded, and his jaw clenched slightly. Haley felt his hand loosen on hers, which only made her want to hold on tighter. He looked so defensive of his life, like he was guarding it.

He cleared his throat, looking down at his water. "I live in New York." He said lamely, mentally kicking himself. She was just asking questions, like he was asking her. The least he could do was give her a better answer than information she already knew.

Haley nodded slowly, sensing not to pry anymore at his life. "Oh? And do you like it here?"

"It's great." Nathan said, shrugging. "I like the snow, so this is one of my favorite times of year."

"Not because Christmas. Because of the snow." She chuckled, smiling at him, squeezing his hand lightly.

"Holidays aren't my thing." He said, looking back down at his plate of food. "I've seen snow plenty of times, but living in a place where it actually snows, it's great."

She nodded her head, "I'm allergic to the cold." She chuckled, "I love the heat that North Carolina brings." She said, nodding.

"I went to school in North Carolina." He said, nodding at her. "Guess we kind of switched places." He blocked his brain off from that point. That was all he was going to tell her.

Haley smiled at him, "That's crazy. Did you like it there? I liked California, but it's the feeling of peace I have when I return to Tree Hill that made me move back there." She said, nodding at him.

"I liked it." Nathan said, letting out a deep breath, meeting her gaze and smiling slightly. "I wish that I would've stayed in Stanford, though. Maybe taken a year off from school, then gone to Duke. I could've run into you." He chuckled, shaking his head.

Duke. Haley noted that in her brain, but she wasn't going to make it obvious that she knew it. He clearly didn't want to talk about himself, and despite her curiosity, she wasn't going to make him upset by pushing for information.

"It's so crazy that your best friend is marrying my sister." Haley said, shaking her head and laughing. "I came to terms that I would never see you again, yet here you are, right in front of me. Looking as handsome as ever."

Nathan grinned, rubbing his neck. "I like the dark hair on you. It suits you well. So did blonde." He said, nodding at her. "You're just beautiful. I think you could pull off anything."

"You keep complimenting me, I might not be able to wait until tomorrow before I kiss you." Haley said, winking at him.

"You better wait. Because I mean it, I'll push Clay out of my way." He laughed, shaking his head.

Haley rolled her eyes, throwing a French fry at him. "Stop it." She said, laughing.

He raised his eyebrows, looking at her, before looking at the fry in his lap. "How dare you." He said, picking it up, and throwing it back at her. "You don't want to start this fight with me, Haley James."

Haley laughed, holding up her hands. "I have a feeling that you're correct." She said, shaking her head.

He smiled at her, letting out a deep breath. "When do you leave?" He asked her softly, raising his eyebrows.

"I'm supposed to leave the day after we wedding." She said, letting out a small sigh. "But really, if this weather doesn't let up, who knows. I just hope that my family can make it in tomorrow."

Nathan nodded slowly, sending her a sad smile. "Well, between you and me, I hope the weather let's up for tonight and tomorrow morning, long enough for their flights to get in, but then I want all hell to break loose." He chuckled, shrugging slightly.

"It wouldn't be so bad, I suppose. There are only three days of school next week, then it'll be winter break." She said, smiling at him. "You might get tired of me tomorrow. I can be a handful. You just wait until you see my bossy side."

"I think I can handle it. You haven't seen my bossy side yet either." He said, winking at her.

"I can be scary." She said, crossing her arms.

Nathan eyed her, raising his eyebrows. "Yeah, okay." He laughed, shaking his head.

"I can." She said, scowling slightly at him. "I'll be sure to come to you tomorrow when I need to yell."

"Can't wait." He said, smirking at her, shrugging his shoulders slightly.

The rest of their impromptu date went similar to that. Playful banter, avoiding the deep stuff. Haley wanted to know, but she wasn't going to push. And Nathan obviously didn't want her to know, and was going to push back against her even if she tried.

Haley felt an underlying sadness as he walked her to her hotel room. But then she remembered: she'd see him tomorrow. It was different. She knew his name. Hell, he'd given her his phone number at dinner, and forced her to take a picture with him to make it the contact photo. They'd see each other again.

Nathan smiled, looking down at her. "You don't know how happy it makes me to see you again." He said softly, letting out a deep breath. "It's a happiness that I don't take lightly." He mumbled, shoving his hands into his pockets. "If you get lonely in this big hotel room by yourself, you let me know." He added cheekily, winking at her.

Haley smiled slightly, looking up at him. "I think I'll be fine. My husband is just inside waiting for me." She said, gesturing towards the door.

"You're not as funny as I remember you being." He shot back, shaking his head and letting out a deep breath. "I'll see you tomorrow?" The words warmed his heart, causing him to smile again. He definitely would be seeing her tomorrow.

She nodded quickly in response, removing his jacket from around her shoulders, handing it back to him. "I'll see you tomorrow." She confirmed, letting out a deep breath.

Nathan threw his jacket over his shoulder, pulling her into a hug, closing his eyes and resting his chin on her head. "I'm so glad I found you." He whispered.

Haley smiled at his words, pulling back and looking up at him, her hand resting on his chest. "You can kiss me if you want to." She said softly, nodding.

Nathan leaned down slowly, pressing a light kiss just to the side of her lips. "No. Not tonight. I already told you that." He said, winking at her. "See you tomorrow, Haley James." He said, smiling and turning to head away, stepping onto the elevator and waving at her.

Haley waved at him, letting out a deep breath and heading into her hotel room, leaning back against the door, sliding down in slowly.

She'd found him. He was still a mystery. But she found him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you so much for the reviews! I'm so sorry for the wait. Something weird was happening, so I had to retype the whole thing. A little bit is revealed about Nathan in this, but there's more to come. And I threw Lindsey in here so that I don't need to decide who Lucas is going to end up with just yet, and I always kind of liked her and Haley's friendship as well. Not as much as Haley and Peyton or Brooke and Haley, but I still liked them.**

 **Chapter 4**

"I can't believe you landed a girl way hotter than you." Nathan chuckled, looking at himself in the mirror, smirking slightly. "It's a miracle that she didn't try to sneak into my room every once and awhile."

"Your bed is always occupied." Clay grumbled in response, shaking his head and smiling. "I'm one lucky man, Nate. I know it." He said, tightening his tie and letting out a deep breath.

"You look like James Bond, man." Nathan said, smiling at Clay, rolling his eyes. "Quinn got lucky too." He said, letting out a small sigh.

"You're going to get sappy." Clay said, turning to Nathan quickly. "Don't get sappy. I've been waiting for you to show some emotion about me getting married since it happened. I told you and you asked me if I was sure, and I told you I was, and you said cool. You don't get to be sappy now, because I'll cry." He said, punching Nathan's arm.

Nathan laughed, raising his eyebrows and looking at him. "What the hell? I'm not getting sappy, Clay. I just know that Quinn is getting a good guy." He said simply, shaking his head and clearing his throat. "I really owe you, Clay. For everything." He said, looking down.

Clay threw his arm around Nathan's shoulders, shaking his head. "You're my best friend, Nate. Closest thing I have to a little brother. You don't owe me anything."

Nathan let out a deep breath, "I owe you a lot." He said, shrugging slightly.

"Fine. You can repay me by not flirting with Haley anymore." Clay said, nodding at him.

"Why not?" Nathan asked him, scowling slightly.

Clay let out a deep breath, "Nathan, remember the list of things I asked you to do yesterday?"

"Vaguely." Nathan said in response, crossing his arms.

"I told you not to drink. I asked you to stick with Luke or Chase, and I asked you not to sleep with any of Quinn's family. Remember?" Clay said, poking his side. "Haley is included in that. Please, man."

Nathan rolled his eyes, looking down. "I'll listen to you to the best of my abilities."

"Which means you won't listen. I know you, Nathan." Clay responded, looking at himself in the mirror.

"I listen when I want to. In this particular situation, I don't want to." Nathan responded, buttoning up the top button of his suit coat. "But since you don't understand, we'll stop talking about it."

Clay let out a deep breath, shaking his head and staying quiet.

"Are you nervous?" Nathan asked him curiously, raising his eyebrows.

"For you." Clay responded, shrugging. "I'm nervous to leave you alone. You get trapped in your own head, Nathan. Consumed by yourself."

"I'll be fine, Clayton. You really don't need to worry about me. You're about to have a wife. Worry about her." Nathan chuckled, shaking his head, pushing his hands into his pockets.

"I don't need to worry about Quinn. She's tougher than me. My best friend, well, he's a little fragile." Clay laughed, letting out a small sigh.

"I'll be fine unless you stop making pancakes for dinner every Sunday night. I'm coming over for that." He joked, smiling at his friend.

"Don't forget to take you-" Clay began, before Nathan cut him off.

"You've been away from me before, Clay. Spent the night at Quinn's. Gone off scouting. I know how to be alone." Nathan assured him, letting out a deep breath. "I'm going to be okay, Clay. Really."

"We'll be home from our honeymoon in two weeks. You know where our house is. If our flight gets delayed, then maybe I'll see you tomorrow." He joked, nudging his elbow into Nathan's side. "I'm thinking that I should go get married, instead of standing around talking to you."

Nathan chuckled, nodding at him. "Probably." He hummed, before following Clay out of the room.

xxxx

Haley couldn't stop the tears in her eyes as she stared at her sister in the mirror. She looked so beautiful.

"Don't start crying, Haley. I'll cry too." Quinn laughed, smiling at her and shaking her head.

"You look so gorgeous, Quinny. I don't know how Dad is going to hand you off to Clay today. I don't know if I can." Haley said, smiling at her.

"I'm just glad that Mom and Dad and everyone else could make it. I haven't even given the wedding a second thought." Quinn joked, letting out a deep breath. "You look beautiful too, Haley."

"Thank you." Haley said, looking at herself in the mirror. "This is all so crazy. You're getting married!"

"I know." Quinn said, her face breaking out into a wide grin. "I'm so excited. Clay makes me so happy."

"Good. I'll kick his ass if he hurts you. You know I can do it." Haley said, rolling her eyes at herself and laughing.

"Believe me, I know. I still have the scar on my arm from when you bit me when you were five." Quinn said, letting out a deep breath. "I know you must have some questions. So ask them. I'll answer to the best of my ability."

Haley raised her eyebrows, looking at her an shrugging slightly. "Well... I've always wondered where it is exactly that babies come from." She joked.

"Very funny." Quinn said, rolling her eyes. "About Nathan. Cough 'em up. I don't know much about him, but I know what I observe."

"Oh, no. We don't need to talk about this." Haley said, shaking her head, looking down.

"Nathan is different. He's very easy on the eyes, and very charming when he wants to be, Haley. He has a different girl leaving his room every single time I've spent the night there. He drinks beer before ten o'clock. He has this work out room in his house, and I don't know exactly what he does in there, but I assume he gets really angry as throws things around. He's very brief in conversation. I think he times them in his head, and once a conversation reaches two minutes, it's over." She said, letting out a deep breath. "I don't know much about him, Hales. But I do know what he's kind of, and I mean this in the nicest way possible, a mess. And I don't think you need to be the one to clean it up."

Haley let out a deep breath, allowing all of the information Quinn just told her to sink in, looking around the room. She should feel deterred, ready to avoid Nathan. Yet for some reason, she still felt intrigued by him. She felt as though there was a story. Not one that many people knew, but she wanted to know. She wanted him to not be a mess.

She eventually nodded her head, letting out yet another deep breath. "Okay." She said simply, smiling at Quinn, pulling her into a right hug. "I'm so excited for you. Let's go find Dad." She suggested.

Quinn nodded, giving her sister a soft squeeze, before following her out of the room, smiling brightly at her.

xxxx

Haley couldn't focus on the conversation that was going on between Vivian and Brooke right now. All she could focus on was Taylor. Taylor. Talking to Nathan. Taylor petting Nathan's arm. Laughing at what he was saying. Moving closer to him. He was leaning back ever so slightly, but he was still laughing with her. Appeared to be enjoying himself.

"Haley would back me up if she wasn't so busy staring at the hottie with the blue eyes and the nice ass."

Brooke's voice brought her out of her thoughts, causing her to look over, clearing her throat.

"I'm not staring." She said simply, shaking her head.

Vivian looked over towards where Haley was previously looking, letting out a low whistle. "Cute. Not sure he's your type though, Hales."

"You met Chris, didn't you?" Brooke said, shaking her head.

"Ew." Vivian said, shaking her head. "Thinking about all the grease that guy puts in his hair is triggering my gag reflex."

"Which brings me back to my original point. You should name your baby Brooke. Boy or girl." Brooke said, nudging Vivian. "You already have a bunch of kids. Just give one of them my name. Make me, and them happy."

"For the last time, Brooke. I said no. Go bother Andrew when he has his next kid." Vivian grumbled, rolling her eyes.

"That could be years. I've been trying since you all started popping them out." Brooke responded, letting out an exaggerated sigh. "Haley, stop drooling and tell her."

"Clay sure does have cute friends." Vivian changed the subject, looking around. "Especially Haley's man. He looked around and I swear we made eye constant for a second, and my heart melted."

"He's not my man." Haley said, shaking her head and rolling her eyes.

"I think she meant to say Taylor's man." Brooke said, clearing her throat.

"Oh, Taylor." Vivian sighed, shaking her head. "Haley, go get Brooke another drink."

"Brooke doesn't need another drink." Haley said, letting out a deep breath.

Brooke and Vivian exchanged a glance, before both of their gazes moved to Nathan and Taylor.

"Um, yes I do." Brooke said, nodding. "Please, Haley?"

Haley let out an annoyed sigh, shaking her head. She knew what they were trying to do, but as her gaze moved over to where the two were talking, she really wanted to "go get Brooke another drink."

"Fine." She responded, looking at her. "What do you want?"

"Nothing." Brooke said, shrugging slightly. "I don't want you to bring me back anything." She hummed, before turning back to Vivian. "Now, about the name Brooke."

Haley shook her head, letting out a deep breath, finishing the drink in her hand, before walking over to Nathan quickly.

Nathan looked up and grinned when he saw Haley walking over to him, the story the girl that was talking to him was telling just becoming noise in the background. She looked stunning. He had not had a chance to talk to her since last night, unless you count the small wave he offered her during the ceremony. A wave was a simple gesture, compared to what he'd wanted to do. He would've much rather shoved the two people between them to the side, and pull her into a bear hug, just simply because he could. Because she was right there. He couldn't stop staring at her. Clay could've married someone completely different from Quinn, he wouldn't have noticed. Haley James captivated every part of him. His eyes, his brain. He jaw would probably dropped every single time she walked into a room.

Yet, here he was. Probably flirting with this other girl. Dammit.

Haley smiled at him when she approached him, letting out a deep breath. "Hi." She said, nodding at him.

"Hey." Nathan responded, his smile growing. "I've been waiting for you to come talk to me."

"Oh yeah?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows, resting her hand on his arm for a brief moment. "Funny, I've been waiting for you to come talk to me."

"Damn." Nathan chuckled, looking at her, standing up a bit straighter, glancing over at Taylor.

"So, I see you two have met." Haley said, looking between the two of them, clearing her throat.

Nathan felt his heart drop down into his stomach as his eyes hurried back to Haley, his eyebrows raised. "You two... Know each other?"

"Little Haley is my baby sister." Taylor said, slinging her arm around Haley's shoulders.

Nathan looked like a deer caught in headlights, which did not do anything for Haley's confidence.

He quickly looked over at Chase, who was leaning against the bar. He made a face, before moving over to help someone else.

"Oh. I didn't know that." Nathan said, mentally kicking himself. He didn't want to meet Haley's eyes. Didn't want to face the disappointment in them. He knew it would be there. He was used to the disappointment in people's eyes. But he didn't want to see it in her eyes.

"Dude, I've been in all the pictures you've taken today." Taylor laughed, raising her eyebrows at him.

Nathan looked at her, shrugging slightly. "Sorry." He said, clearing his throat and looking over at Chase again, who was smirking slightly as he examined a glass.

Haley let out a deep breath, looking up at him. He wasn't going to look at her, so it was no use. She just wanted to understand him. Know something about him. Wanted him to show some emotion. She wanted him to look at her.

Nathan sighed softly, leaning against the bar, looking around the room until his eyes landed on Quinn and Clay, who were laughing and taking photos with people. They looked happy.

"Nathan and I were just discussing his plans for the night." Taylor said, brushing her fingers over Nathan's forearm that was rested on the bar. "So what was it that you were doing tonight?"

Haley let out a deep breath, curling her arm through Nathan's, giving his bicep a soft squeeze. "He has plans, Taylor. So back off." She said simply, glaring at her. "Nathan, why don't you introduce me to Lucas now?"

Nathan blinked in surprise, looking down at her quickly, nodding slowly. "Yeah. Sure." He said, letting out a deep breath, glancing at Taylor, before scanning the room for Lucas. His eyes settled on him after a short time, tugging her in his direction.

He cleared his throat when he approached his brother, letting out a deep breath when Lucas turned around.

"Luke, this is Haley." He said, gesturing towards the woman at his side, smiling slightly.

Lucas looked at her, a smile forming on his face. "Quinn's sister, right? Maid of honor. Nathan has told me so much about you." He said, glancing over at his brother, who started shaking his head quickly.

Haley sent Nathan a questioning look, before looking back at Lucas, raising her eyebrows.

"Or not." Lucas attempted to fix his mistake, shaking his head. "Never mind. That's just what Nathan told me to say to- You know what... It's nice to meet you, Haley." He said, letting out a deep breath.

Haley gave Nathan's bicep a light squeeze, before dropping her hand down to her side, smiling at Lucas. "You too. I'm a huge fan."

Nathan inwardly rolled his eyes. Stupid Lucas. It was his own damn fault for telling Lucas to use that line whenever he introduced her to a new girl. Haley's reaction puzzled him. The way she reacted to her sister and him, puzzled him. She didn't look disappointed in him, or frustrated. She would just offer him a comforting gesture, and pretend as though it had not happened.

"Really? You like my book?" Lucas asked her, raising his eyebrows, grinning. "That's amazing! Thank you so much."

"Everything about it is so great. The characters are so real. I feel the emotions with them every time I read it. The words you use are so powerful. Well done." Haley said, nodding at him.

"Wow. Thank you." Lucas said, letting out a deep breath. "Keep talking like that, I might need to credit my next book to you for keeping my confidence up."

"Hey, whatever gets it out of you sooner." She responded, looking around. She met Nathan's eyes, which were narrowed in on her, sending him yet another smile. Honestly, she was unsure how to act in the moment. She didn't know Nathan very well, but she could almost watch him beating himself up in his own head. And she hated it.

"If all it takes is compliments to get a book out of you, Lucas, you should've told me." The girl that appeared at his side said, smiling at him, then at Haley. "Lindsey Strauss. Nice to meet you." She said, holding out her hand to Haley.

Haley smiled at her, shaking her hand. "Haley James." She responded, nodding at her.

"Lindsey is my editor." Lucas said, nodding at Lindsey, draping his arm around her shoulders. "And she's super mean, so be careful."

"I'm only mean because you're slow." Lindsey responded, rolling her eyes and looking at Nathan. "Hi, Nathan."

Nathan offered her a small nod, kicking himself again. Lucas' editor. He'd met her dozens of times, and was sure that he'd learned her name every time, but he wouldn't have known it if it wasn't for her introducing herself to Haley. Three, maybe even more, idiotic moments in the last ten minutes. Nice job, Nathan.

He glanced over at the bar, shaking his head at himself. No drinking. But he suddenly felt very aware of all the people around him. Hot underneath his suit coat. His tie felt like it was choking him. He had to get out of there. He couldn't hear any of the conversation the three people around him were having. He just had to go.

So he left.

It only took a matter of seconds for Haley to notice Nathan was gone, and watch his figure retreating out the door into the snowy weather.

She raised her eyebrows in surprise, glancing over at Lucas, who was also watching Nathan.

Lucas cleared his throat, "Excuse me. Sorry about that, Linds, tell Haley some embarrassing stories about me so she thinks I'm less awesome." He said, letting out a deep breath, following his younger brother outside quickly.

He found Nathan standing at the bottom of the cement stairs leading into the building, kicking around the snow.

"Nate?" He asked, raising his eyebrows. "What's wrong?"

Nathan glared at him, "Leave me alone, Lucas." He said, shaking his head.

Lucas shook his head, stepping on the little snow ball Nathan had been kicking. "No." He said simply.

"I said, leave me alone." He said again, picking up some snow, packing it into a ball and throwing it at Lucas.

Lucas brushed the snow remnants off himself, letting out a deep sigh. "When are you going to grow up, Nate? It's been nearly two years."

Nathan shook his head, "You shut your mouth, Luke." He snapped, letting out a deep breath. "You promised you wouldn't talk about it unless I brought it up. You promised."

"Do something with your life besides pitying yourself and drinking all day, Nathan. Get out of your own damn head. This is Clay's wedding. It's not about you. Stop being a selfish jack ass. If he saw you walking out those doors, he'd be devastated. Probably come running after you." He said, pushing Nathan lightly.

"Don't push me, bitch." Nathan said, stepping towards Lucas, pushing him back. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"I know exactly what I'm talking about!" Lucas said, pushing him again. "You're being selfish."

"You don't get to say that to me. You don't understand!" Nathan responded, rolling his eyes.

"Clay pushed back his wedding for you, Nathan! Don't you see that? He's going to flip if he notices you gone." Lucas said, letting out a deep sigh.

"Then leave me alone, I'll go back inside sooner." Nathan grumbled, glaring at him and turning away.

"Stop being a dick." Lucas said, pushing him again.

Nathan whipped around, narrowing his eyes at Lucas. "Stop shoving me."

Lucas stepped forward, shoving him again. "What are you going to do about it? Go get drunk? Run away?"

Nathan sucked in a deep breath, attempting to talk himself down in his head. Lucas wanted a reaction. He wanted him to react poorly. And... He was going to.

Within a second, Nathan tackled Lucas into the snow bank off to the side.

"You're the dick." Nathan responded, rolling his eyes.

Lucas glared up at Nathan, scrambling quickly to shove him off, pushing him into the snow. "Look, Nathan! I'm sorry."

"That's what I thought." Nathan grumbled, standing up and brushing the snow off himself.

"You're mad because you aren't the person you want to be." Lucas said simply, climbing to his feet and brushing himself off. "No one's life ends up the way they wanted it to be. Not exactly. But you just have to find something to motivate you to change."

Nathan looked at him, letting out a deep breath. "I'm not mad at you, Lucas. Sorry." He grumbled. "I just- I feel like such a loser, man. I'm trying to be cool for this girl, and I just can't get it." He sighed, looking at him. "And I'm usually so cool, it's weird." He added, chuckling quietly. "I feel so nervous. I hate it."

Lucas nodded slightly, letting out a deep breath, looking at him. "I'm sure it didn't help when I told her that I've heard so much about her."

"My fault." Nathan grumbled, kicking at the snow again. "I was flirting with her sister, man. I didn't know they were sisters."

"Yikes." Lucas said, looking at him. "Really?"

"I don't know. Maybe I was? I wasn't listening to myself talk." Nathan rolled his eyes at him, "I just want to do something different. I want to try, y'know? It's not like I know her all that well, but I feel like I do. I feel like I want to. She's just special."

Lucas smiled at him, "If she's as special as you say she is, then she'll be able to see that you're trying, Nate. She seems great, and I've only had one conversation with her." He said, letting out a deep breath.

"She likes Shakespeare. You can talk to her about that." Nathan chuckled. "I'm sorry for pushing you into a snow bank."

Lucas draped his arm around Nathan's shoulders. "It's okay. I'm sorry for yelling at you, little brother."

Nathan nodded, looking at him. "I'm going to sit out here for a little bit longer. I just need to cool down a bit. Three minutes, top. You have my word." He said, sighing softly, watching his breath in the cold air.

"I'll hold you to it." Lucas said, slapping his chest. "You don't come back in, I'll be pissed. Clay will be pissed. And I'll talk shit about you to Haley."

Nathan rolled his eyes, "Shut up. Go back inside and talk me up." He chuckled, turning him around and nodding at the door.

Lucas looked at him, smiling and heading back inside.

xxxx

Nathan stared at Haley from his seat, doing his best from refraining to push his hands through his hair, not wanting to mess it up. She was sitting a few tables over, talking to the same girl that she'd been talking to for the las hour, watching people dance. He smiled as she pointed at Quinn and Clay, probably making some comment about how beautiful she looked, or something along those lines. Or about how Clay's dorky dance moves that he was doing.

He wiped his palms on his pants once a slower song started playing. Cool and collected. Cool and collected. Cool and collected. He reminded himself, approaching her table, stepping up next to her and holding his hand out. He really had no idea what he was doing. He hated dancing with a passion. He had no rhythm, no sense of timing, nothing when it came to dancing. It was embarrassing. But he wanted to dance with her.

He looked down at her, meeting her gaze and smirking at her. "Dance with me?" He asked, nodding slightly.

Haley looked at Brooke for a brief second, smiling brightly and taking his hand, allowing him to pull her up to her feet. "I would love to." She said, nodding at him, pulling him onto the dance floor. She held back a laugh as one hand came to rest high on her waist, while the other held up hers.

"Not a huge dancer, I'm guessing." She said, smiling up at him.

He shook his head slightly, "Is it that obvious?" He laughed, rolling his eyes. "I'm horrible. Two left feet."

She felt her heart melt at his words. She found that so cute for some reason.

Haley grabbed his hand on her waist, moving it down so it was resting a bit lower, taking a small step towards him, resting her hand on his shoulder. "Thankfully, slow dancing is not that complicated."

If she moved any closer, she'd feel his heart beating very quickly. But he would feel hers as well.

"You know, I've never had someone send their brother to flirt with me." She said, smirking slightly.

He raised his eyebrows, chuckling quietly. "Baby, I'd get everyone in this room to talk me up." He said, winking at her.

"Oh, really?" She laughed, brushing her thumb over the side of his neck. "And why's that?"

"To start, it wouldn't be that hard. Usually people have a lot of nice things to say about me." He said, smirking at her. "What did my favorite brother happen to tell you?"

"Well, he walked up and started talking about how awesome you are." She said, shaking her head and laughing. "My brothers have never once talked about how awesome the others were in casual conversation."

"And what did you say to that?" Nathan asked her, brushing his thumb over her side.

"I asked him if we were talking about the same Nathan. Because the kid I met in high school didn't seem that awesome." She joked, giving his hand a light squeeze.

"Low blow, Haley James. I was amazing in high school." Nathan chuckled, smirking at her. "And you seemed to think so."

"Oh yeah? The one day that I spent with you?" She asked him, rolling her eyes.

"We made out for like half an hour." He reminded her, pulling her just a bit closer to him.

"Not even close. Five minutes at the most." She laughed, shaking her head and smiling at him. She looked around, letting out a deep breath, rubbing her thumb over his neck once again.

"Downplaying a nice moment. Sounds a lot like our first date." He said, grinning at her.

She laughed, "Hey now. I'm a romantic. It took you seven years to finally ask me on another date, so who really downplayed our relationship?" She teased him.

Nathan rolled his eyes, raising her hand up to spin her around. "Touché." He responded, laughing.

Haley laughed as she spun, looking at him and raising her eyebrows. "I thought you couldn't dance."

"I can't." He laughed, raising up her hand. "My turn." He said, awkwardly ducking under her arm and spinning around, smirking at her.

Haley burst into another fit of laughter at his actions, probably drawing several pairs of eyes to them.

Nathan began to spin her again, before dipping her down carefully, smirking at her as he raised her back up.

"You do have moves." She informed him, a wide grin on her face. "But I won't be dipping you like that."

"Could be fun." He said, shaking his head and winking at her.

Haley dropped his hand, before linking her hands behind his neck, pulling herself closer to him, smiling when his other hand found her waist.

"This might be better." He said quietly, letting out a deep breath.

"I love dancing." Haley informed him, "I'm not the best at it, really. I'm like the least graceful person on the planet, but I still love it." She said softly, her voice getting low, almost as if she was telling him a secret. "When I was a kid, my parents would occasionally dance with each other after we went to bed, and Quinn and I would sometimes sit at the top of the stairs and watch them. I'm sure they knew we were there, but they just continued to dance." She said, glancing over to where her parents were dancing with each other now, both their heads snapping back to pretend as though they were focusing on each other, though she knew they had been watching her.

"Sounds nice." Nathan said, clearing his throat, looking at her for a second, before his gaze drifted from hers.

Haley held back a sigh. His eyes became stone again at the subject change. As if he had something he wanted to say, but wasn't going to let himself say it. As much as she wanted to push, she wasn't going to. She didn't want to do that to him. She didn't know him well enough to dig into his personal life.

She wanted to know about him, though.

They spent close to an hour dancing with each other, sometimes Nathan would be goofy, and happy, but then the next second he would go back to staring off into space while she just scratching her fingernails over his back through his jacket and shirt, silently hoping he would say something.

It was near eleven when Haley was getting ready to leave, picking up her coat and her purse off the chair they had been resting on, checking the weather on her phone to see if her flight would be taking off tomorrow. Odds looked to be against it.

She heard whispering behind her, which she ignored for awhile, before she turned around and saw her brothers staring at Nathan, who was talking to Clay, Chase, Quinn, and Lucas, talking quietly amongst themselves.

"Haley, what's Clay's best man's name?" Andrew asked her, nodding towards the dark haired man.

"Why does it matter to you?" She asked, letting out an annoyed sigh, looking over at Nathan, meeting his eye and smiling slightly.

"Just tell him." Brandon grumbled, rolling his eyes. "We're not going to go all psycho older brother on him."

Haley let out a deep breath, looking at Nathan once more, before looking back at her three brothers. "Nathan Scott." She said, pulling on her coat.

"That's him!" Jason said, nodding quickly. "That's the Duke ball player that..."

"Oh yeah! That is him!" Andrew agreed, looking over at Nathan again.

"What?" Haley asked, scowling at them and crossing her arms. "What about him?"

Brandon cleared his throat, "He's the basketball player that played for Duke that got thrown through a window in a bar fight pretty close to two years ago right before the March Madness Finals." He said, nodding.

"Shattered his spine or something like that. I'm surprised he's walking, let alone dancing like a mad man with Haley." Andrew said, his eyes moving to his sister.

Haley's eyebrows were raised in surprise, her mouth slightly open. Surely they couldn't be talking about the same Nathan.

Her gaze quickly shifted to him, a million thoughts spinning around her head? Why had he not told her? How had she not known? It wasn't any of her business, so why would he tell her? Should she question him about it? Was he okay?

Her heart was quite literally breaking for him. He was smiling, and laughing, but was that the pain hidden behind his eyes? She wanted to know the story behind it, but was afraid to ask him. How could she not have known?

She snapped her eyes back to her brothers, who were still talking about it, suddenly feeling very annoyed. "Don't you three have wives to get to?" She asked them, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah." Andrew said, clearing his throat, walking over and kissing her head. "See you tomorrow for breakfast, Hales. Stay safe."

Haley offered him a small nod, before hurrying over to where Nathan was standing, clearing her throat. "Are you ready to go?" She asked, her eyes shifting over him. He appeared to be doing okay. She hadn't noticed him limping or anything. Maybe they were mistaken.

Nathan nodded his head, looking over at Clay, letting out a deep breath. "Call me if your flight gets delayed." He said, smiling slightly.

"You're number one on my favorites list, even before Quinn. Of course I'll call you. Text me with updates on your life every hour. I want to know when you go to sleep, when you wake up, what you ate for breakfast..." Clay began, sending him a small smile, before pulling him into a tight hug.

Nathan rolled his eyes, hugging his friend back, letting out a deep breath. "Okay." He chuckled quietly.

"He's not even that romantic with me." Quinn joked, pulling Haley into a hug. "Hopefully our flight can leave. If I'm not in Hawaii by morning, I will be very unhappy."

"I don't blame you." Haley chuckled, smiling at her sister. "I'll talk to you later, but please, don't rush. Enjoy your alone time."

"They don't get much of it." Chase said, nodding towards where Clay was still hugging Nathan tightly.

"It's the end of an era!" Clay said, turning around, keeping Nathan under his arm. "I have been roommates with Nathan since he was a freshman in college, and I was a junior. Then I graduated, but now we've been roommates again for nearly two years. Talk every day. Best friends, right Nate?"

"Yep." Nathan said sheepishly, shaking his head. "Luke, how long are you here?"

"Few days. Planning on crashing at your place." Lucas said, exchanging a look with Clay, which Haley guessed didn't go unnoticed by Nathan, based on his eye roll.

"Cool." Nathan responded, letting out a deep breath. "Chase?"

"You know that I'll see you tomorrow, Nathan." Chase said, holding up two random, unopened bottles, pretending to chug both of them.

Nathan smirked slightly, nodding his head and looking at Haley. "Alright, let's go."

"You forgot me, Nathan." Quinn joked, wrapping her arms around him. "I'm counting on you to walk my favorite sister back to her hotel safely." She warned him, pressing a loud, purposely annoying kiss to his cheek. "Don't call my husband too often."

"I'll try." Nathan chuckled, hugging her for a brief moment, before stepping away to wrap his arm around Haley's shoulders, nodding towards the exit. "Shall we?"

Haley nodded, waving at the group once more, before allowing Nathan to guide her out. The short walk back was silent. It was only a block, but she didn't say anything. Nathan was only one to occasionally speak.

She wasn't sure if it was comfortable, or if her mind was running so many miles a minute that it was impossible to be comfortable, but before she knew it, they were standing in front of her hotel room. The same hotel room that he'd walked her to last night. There was a difference, though. Last night, she'd wanted him to kiss her. Asked him to kiss her.

Now she wasn't so sure.

She wasn't like this. She usually thought about things in her head, so she was prepared for them to happen. She did want it. But she wasn't sure if she was going to allow herself to give in.

She'd noticed so many details about him. He had two different smirks. One for when he said something smirk-worthy, and one for when she did. She loved his laugh. Especially the laugh he had when they were dancing. The little crinkles that appeared by his eyes when he was truly smiling. The way his heart was beating when he held her close. She wanted to kiss him. She just wasn't sure if she was there yet. She loved the interest that he took in her. It was nice after her last boyfriend was very self-centered. Though, she suspected it was partly because he didn't want to talk about himself at all, which concerned her. She didn't know him. She wanted to, but he wouldn't tell her anything deeper than the information she already knew about him.

He was gorgeous. She was crazy not to let him kiss her, but she didn't want to jump into something that she didn't think she was emotionally ready for. It had not been too long since her split with Chris, and while that wasn't necessarily hard, it was exhausting. Their whole relationship had been exhausting. Nathan had several walls built up for some reason. To block anyone from coming in, and Haley knew that it wouldn't be easy to take down those walls. It would be brick by brick. Day by day, possibly longer than that. She just didn't know if she was ready for that. And, well... It bothered her a little bit that he was so easily flirting with her sister, though she knew how Taylor was, so she most likely started it. But Clay's voice kept appearing in her head.

He just said something sweet to her, that she couldn't even focus on because of all the thoughts racing around her mind, so she just smiled at him. And she heard him say she had a beautiful smile, and she thanked him.

He hesitated for a moment, before he leaned down cautiously to kiss her, and for some reason, her hand found the collar of his jacket, pulling him closer, before she realized what she was doing. She had to stop.

Haley held up her hand in between them, leaning back slightly. "Nathan." She said, clearing her throat. "I can't." She whispered to him.

Nathan looked at her with a confused expression, before his eyes once again returned to the steel look, simply saying, "I get it."

She shook her head, letting out a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I just... We don't know each other that well, and I just got out of a messy relationship. My heart just isn't ready to move on to someone new just yet, even though I like you a lot, Nathan, I really do. I just can't do it yet."

Nathan brushed his fingers through his hair, nodding his head. "Don't worry about it."

She threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly, guilt overwhelming her. She was a tease, and he was acting very mature about it. "I'm meeting my family and Brooke, my friend for breakfast tomorrow. My flight leaves at eleven. If it gets cancelled, you're going to pick me up, alright?"

Nathan simply nodded, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Okay." He responded, sighing softly.

"I'm sorry, Nathan." She said again, brushing her thumb over his cheek, making him look at her. "I want to be friends for now. I'm not letting to of you."

He nodded again, clearing his throat. "Okay. Text me when to pick you up." He responded, beginning to walk away, before he turned back around and looked at her. "Guess I should've kissed you last night, hm?" He joked, sending her a smile.

She sent him a sad smile in return, shaking her head. "Goodnight, Nathan Scott. I'll text you tomorrow."

Nathan nodded, watching her step into her hotel room, before heading into the elevator, letting out an annoyed sigh, waiting until the doors closed before he angrily pushed several of the buttons, kicking one of the walls.

He wasn't angry at her though. He was angry at himself.


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay, for some reason this chapter was flowing really well so I got a quick update! Yay!**

 **Chapter 5**

"You... You don't have a Christmas Tree?" Haley asked him, looking around is house, raising her eyebrows. "At all?"

Nathan shook his head, shoving his hands into his pockets, shrugging slightly. "No. I told you I don't have Christmas spirit." He said, letting out a deep breath, looking around his house. "Clay usually puts one up, but he just gave up this year and put one of up with Quinn." He informed her as they finished the tour of his house, finding themselves back in the living room.

She pushed her hand through her hair, taking a seat on the couch and crossing her legs. "That's horrible, Nathan." She said, laughing and looking up at them.

He laughed, taking a seat next to her, leaving some distance between them, but not too much distance. He didn't want to her to feel like he was pressuring her, but he also didn't want her to feel like he wasn't interested in her.

When she'd called him this morning, informing him that her flight was cancelled, he'd hauled ass to clean up his house. If she opened any cupboards, she'd probably find an unorganized mess. But it looked pretty clean.

"So where's Lucas?" She asked him, looking at him and raising her eyebrows, smiling slightly. She hesitated for a brief moment, before obviously scooting closer to him. She didn't want him to stop trying by any means. Definitely didn't want the flirty comments to stop, all she wanted was to go to know him a little better.

Nathan smirked slightly, looking at her. "He has meetings all day." He informed her, laying his arm across the back of the couch, shrugging slightly.

She nodded her head, looking around living room. She couldn't help but notice there weren't any pictures of Nathan around the room. There were some of Clay and Quinn, Clay and his family, Clay and just about everyone he knew, except for Nathan. She stood up slowly, walking over to examine the wall. Lucas, Chase, more of Quinn. Her eyes did eventually land on a picture of a younger looking Clay, Nathan, Chase, and three other guys that she didn't recognize, but that was it. Who was this man that she was so interested in?

Nathan watched her, clearing his throat and standing up. "Have you already been around New York?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows.

Haley turned around to look at him, a smile forming on her face as she glanced around the decorationless house. "I have an idea." She said, stepping over to him so that she was standing directly in front of him, holding out her hand to him.

He raised his eyebrows in surprise, shaking his head. "I have a feeling I won't like it, but anything to spend more time with you." He chuckled, carefully taking her hand, giving it a light squeeze. "Lead the way."

xxxx

Nathan felt Haley shiver slightly as her back was nearly pressing up against his chest. He wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her, rest his chin on her head, and let her share his warmth. But he wouldn't. For one, his ego was a little shot from their encounter last night, and second, because the big poofy ball thing on top of her hat would make it impossible for him to do so.

"This one is nice." She said, examining the pine needles on the tree, brushing her fingers over it. "Feels nice."

"It feels nice? What, are you a Christmas tree expert?" He asked her, smirking slightly, moving so that his body was actually pressed up against hers, his hand resting over hers as she felt the tree.

Haley shivered again. This time, it wasn't from the cold though. It was from Nathan's warm, muscular body pressing up against her, his hand covering hers. He was so... She couldn't even think of a word to describe him.

"You know, technically it's only a tree right now. It's not a Christmas tree until we put on the decorations." She informed him, looking up at him, her head laying back against his shoulder.

Nathan looked down at her, their faces just inches from each other. "There are decorations too?" He asked, raising his eyebrows. If anyone else in the world had taken him to do this, he would've been pissed. He would've bitched and moaned and waited in the car and made them pick out a stupid dumb tree that he didn't even want. But it was different with her. It was all different with her. He found her love for the season endearing. He enjoyed seeing her eyes light up, listening to her spout some random fact about the type of tree in front of her that probably no one else knew or cared to know, because to him... They all looked the same.

"Oh, honey. Of course. You can't just have a empty tree in your house." She said, looking at the next tree, grabbing onto his arm and pulling him after her.

"I don't necessarily need a tree." He reminded her, chuckling quietly. "Even so, if we put this shit on top of my car, someone might steal it while we're buying decorations. I also suspect that you'll be no help when it comes to carrying it inside."

Haley stopped in her tracks, looking over her shoulder at him. She suddenly felt as though this wasn't a great idea. It was true, she lacked in the muscle department, and while Nathan obviously did not, would his back be able to handle it? Honestly, she'd google searched his name after leaving him the night before, and sure enough, his picture pulled up with an article. As she started the article, she felt sick to her stomach, and couldn't make it past the first paragraph. She didn't want to know about him that way. She wanted him to tell her.

"What's wrong? I was just joking." Nathan said, raising his eyebrows at her, chuckling quietly.

"No, I just didn't think of that. They can probably deliver it." She said, nodding at him. "Yeah. They can deliver it after we get decorations." She hummed, letting out a breath of relief.

Nathan looked down at her, unable to stop himself from wrapping his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side in hopes to stop her shivering. "This is just a friendly notion." He assured her, smirking slightly.

Haley rolled her eyes, smacking his arm lightly, before looking back at the trees in the surrounding area. "Let's play a game." She said, looking up at him. "Let's go through the alphabet, and you have to tell me something, or someone you like for each letter." She said, smiling.

Nathan raised his eyebrows, letting out a small sigh. He could do this without much thought. No need to get deep with her.

"Okay." He said, kicking his foot into the snow. "But you have to do the same."

"A." Haley began, looking at him curiously.

"Apples." He chuckled, shrugging his shoulders.

"Weak, Nathan. Weak." She responded, sighing. "Since this is the first name that pops into my head, my brother Andrew."

Nathan nodded, letting his arm drop to his side, brushing his hand over a tree, shaking his head at the smell. He didn't particularly enjoy it.

"Next letter." She said, smiling at him.

Had she asked him it years ago, it would've been a no brainer. Basketball. He let out a deep breath, keeping his gaze on the tree and staying silent.

After he was quiet for about a minute, Haley spoke up. "Mine would be my friend Brooke." She informed him, linking her arm through his. "She's been one of my closest friends since I was in elementary school. She pushes me to be better, and talks me into doing things out of my comfort zone. For example, I was a cheerleader my senior year of high school because she talked me into it." She hummed, nodding at him. "There's something I rarely like to talk about. I was horrible."

Nathan smirked slightly, looking down at her, kinking one eyebrow. "Really?" He asked her. He would love to see pictures of that. When she nodded in response, he was quiet again, before finally answering.

"Bananas." He said, clearing his throat and moving his gaze from hers once more. Horrible answer.

Haley blew out a slow breath, looking up at him, pulling him towards a different tree. "Okay." She said, looking the tree up and down. "C."

"Cheerleaders." He responded easily, smirking at her. "In a friendly way, of course."

"Nathan!" Haley laughed, smacking him again. "Stop it." She mumbled, rolling her eyes.

"What? That's all I can think about." He laughed, smiling down at her. "It intrigues me." He said, winking when she sent him a fake-unamused expression. "Okay, okay." He said quietly, looking around. "You can't repeat this. Ever. Got it? But... I'll go with Clay. What about you?"

She grinned, closing her eyes for a brief moment. That was cute. Really cute. "I'm going to with chocolate, because I can." She laughed, bumping her head against his shoulder, squeezing his arm lightly.

"Okay, much better than my answer. D." He said, looking down at her.

"Dogs." She said, letting out a deep breath. "My answer for P will most likely be puppies as well."

He grinned at her, "We can go get you a puppy if you want." He said, shrugging.

"Yeah, my apartment doesn't allow pets." She chuckled, shrugging slightly.

"You can leave it at my house." He said, nodding at her.

"Maybe another time. After this year, I'll probably look into moving into a house rather than a one bedroom apartment, so maybe then we can go shopping for dogs." She said, smiling slightly. "It was a sweet offer though. One that I may hold you to."

"I can't think of anything for this letter." He admitted, looking down at her, shrugging slightly.

Haley looked around, stepping up to another tree, feeling the pine needles of it, looking at the height.

He examined what the tree was called, before looking at her. "Douglas Fir." He said, clearing his throat. "That's my answer."

Haley shot him a dirty look, shaking her head. "Horrible, Nathan. Horrible." She laughed, poking his chest.

"That's all I've got for you, Hales." He said, rubbing his neck. "I don't have an E, either. Or an F. Or a G for that matter. Maybe we should just stop here. The next letter I do have an answer for is J. Jordan. And then N for Nike, but that's it." He said, shrugging slightly, looking down.

"You've got to be kidding me. The only things you care about in this world are apples, banana, Clay, and some brands?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"You forgot cheerleaders. And Douglas Firs." He said, gesturing to the tree.

"Well, what about Lucas?"

"I guess so."

Haley didn't want to feel it, but she was starting to get a little frustrated. It's not like she was asking for his deepest, darkest secret. She was just trying to learn more about him.

"If you love Douglas Firs so much, then this must be the tree." She said to him, crossing her arms and nodding.

"I guess so." He repeated, nodding at her, offering her a smile. "If you think this is the right one."

Haley nodded slightly, letting out a small sigh. "Yeah. Come on, let's go give them your address so they can deliver it."

xxxx

Haley had dragged Nathan to several different stores. Several. She had made him buy garland, and lights. The works. He didn't even know what the hell some of the stuff he'd bought was. He stopped paying attention to the words she was saying, and focused his attention on her, and the tone of her voice. She was amazing. And when he'd told her that, she'd blushed, and turned back to whatever she was telling him about. She was so smart too. He adored the random facts she would spout at different times. She would start talking so quickly, and it was adorable.

"Eminem." He blurted out while they were stuck in traffic, blowing out a deep breath at his actions, shaking his head at himself.

"Excuse me?" She laughed, raising her eyebrows and looking over at him.

"That's my E. I like Eminem's music." He said, rubbing his neck. "Sorry."

She smiled slightly, resting her elbow on the arm rest of the seat, planting her chin in her palm and looking at him. It wasn't very personal, and it didn't tell her a lot about him. But he had been thinking, and trying which told her enough.

"Interesting." She said, smiling at him. "My oldest niece's name is Evelyn, and she's the cutest thing. She's ten years old, and she has such a great heart." She informed him.

Nathan smiled at her, looking over at her for a brief moment. "You care a lot about your family, don't you?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows.

"They're my favorite people in the whole world." She said, shrugging slightly. She looked out at the road, sighing softly. "I'll give you one thing I don't like, traffic jams."

He laughed, rolling his eyes. "Not me. I love them." He said sarcastically, glancing into the back seat of his car. "Look at all that stuff. I hope you're planning on helping me set it all up." He said, shaking his head.

"No." She joked, winking at him.

"I think the lights are going to have to wait for a different year. I really don't want to put them up." He said, shaking his head.

"Alright." She hummed, leaning back against her leather seat, looking out the window.

"I want you to stay." He said, clearing his throat. "I'll tell you that my H is Haley if you stay. In a friend way." He said, smirking slightly.

Haley rolled her eyes, "It annoys me more and more every time you say that to me, Scott. Every time." She said, letting out a small sigh.

"Why's that?" He questioned, raising his eyebrows and glancing over at her as the car started moving again.

"Because, I just wanted to get to know you better." She said, looking over at him.

Nathan was silent for most of the ride home after that, blowing out a deep breath once they were inside his garage, looking over at her. "Why?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows.

"This thing that you're doing where you don't respond to conversations until ten minutes later is odd." She chuckled, resting her hand on his arm. "Because, it's not my place, but you seem sad. I just want to be friends for now, Nathan. For now. Until I get to know you better. Not that you really need to know this, but I just got out of a completely one-sided relationship, and it was draining. I just can't do it again, Nathan. And I'm not saying that we're going to be in a relationship because I just don't know, Nathan. I just don't."

Nathan tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, "You're rambling." He informed her, looking over at her. "My middle name is Royal. After my Grandpa. He's an ass." He said, getting out of the car, walking around it and pulling open her door. He pulled open the back seat, picking up some bags full of stuff, handing them to her.

Haley nearly choked at his words, raising her eyebrows. She would never say something like that about her family, ever. It shocked the hell out of her. But it opened him up just a tiny bit more, so she talked herself down and took the bags he was giving her, walking into the house. "I like the name Royal." She said, looking over at him as they stepped inside.

"Thank you." He said, sending her a small grin. "What's your middle name?"

Haley froze, looking over at him, before she started talking again. "I don't have one." She stated, looking around his house.

"I don't believe you." He chuckled, smirking at her. "Tell me." He said, setting his arms full of bags on the ground, crossing his arms.

"No. It's embarrassing and weird. My parents are weird." She laughed, rubbing her neck and setting her bags down as well. "So, I was thinking we could wrap the garland around the staircase, and wrap some lights with it."

"Haley James!" He gasped, raising his eyebrows. "Tell me."

She looked at him, kinking her eyebrow. She knew a way to shut him up and make him stop asking. If she were demanding information like this out of him, he'd close himself off.

"Not right now." She responded, letting out a deep breath. "Maybe later. If you can make it through all twenty-six letters, I'll tell you. You're on the sixth letter. F."

Nathan looked at her, shaking his head, looking around the bags until he found the desired item, following her over to the stairs. "Okay." He said, stroking his chin. "Forks." He said simply, shrugging.

Haley shook her head, beginning to dress up the railing of the stairs. "Friends." She shot back at him.

Nathan rested his hand on his chest, pretending to stumble backwards as if her words wounded him, smirking at her. "Ouch." He chuckled, looking down. "Garland."

"Nathan! Do you have a tendency to just look around and say whatever you see?" She asked him, laughing.

"What's there not to love about this green tree-looking stuff?" He asked her, winking at her.

"Good friends." She said again, poking his chest.

"You're not very nice." He pointed out, shaking his head at her.

"Now you know why my students don't like me." She responded, chuckling quietly. "And why I'm giving out homework over Christmas break."

"If you ever make it back." He pointed out, crossing his arms. "I'm sure your students like you."

"They like it when Brooke Davis storms my classroom. That's the only time they like me." She responded, shaking her head.

"Brooke Davis?" He questioned, raising his eyebrows.

"Yeah, remember my friend that I was telling you about? Brooke?" She asked him, nodding.

"What do they like about her?" He asked, blinking at her.

"You're serious." She said slowly. "You really don't get out much. Brooke Davis. Clothes Over Bro's? Bro's has the most annoying apostrophe in it that she wouldn't let me talk her out of." She said, shaking her head and eyeing him. "You really don't know her?"

"Nope." He said, focusing his eyes on the lights in his hands.

Haley blinked at him, shaking her head. "Wow." She chuckled, shrugging slightly. "Guitars." She hummed quietly to him.

Nathan looked over at her quickly, "You play guitar?" He asked her, smiling slightly.

"I attempt to play the guitar." She hummed, her fingers playing at the green bristles she was wrapping around the staircase.

"Amazing." He said, smirking at her. "Haley."

"What?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"No, that's my H. Haley." He responded, shrugging his shoulders.

Haley shook her head, her cheeks tinting pink. He wasn't serious, of course he wasn't. Four days together. Not even four complete days. One was seven years ago.

"Stop it." She laughed, pushing on his arm lightly. "You're making me blush, Nathan. Stop being so charming."

"That's just part of who I am, Miss James." He said, draping the lights around her shoulders. "You can do this." He hummed, nodding at her. "I'll go find something else to do."

"Wait." She said, grabbing his arm. "I can't do this by myself."

He smirked slightly at her, raising his eyebrows. "Oh, you can't?" He asked her.

She most definitely could do it all by herself. But she didn't want to it without him, so she offered him a small head shake, and pulled the lights off of herself, holding them out to him.

Nathan grinned at her, taking them from her hands, and beginning to move up the stairs behind her, as she wrapped the garland, he attempted to neatly wrap the lights.

"You might have to come back and help me take this all down." He informed her as she made him backtrack a bit, and helped him fix the lights.

"We'll see. I'm a busy woman." She informed him, looking over her shoulder and winking at him.

He chuckled, "Well then maybe I'll just be early for next year." He joked, stopping at the top of the staircase with her, looking out over the open room.

"Your house is beautiful." She said, looking around, leaning against the railing.

"Thank you." He responded, letting out a deep breath. "I just got a bunch of new furniture, most of it was Clay's."

"You're going to miss him, huh?" She asked him, looking up at him and smiling slightly.

"Don't we have some more decorations to put up?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows.

"Now you're voluntarily putting them up. Interesting." She hummed, brushing her hand down his arm. "Well, my H would be hot chocolate. You don't happen to have any, do you?"

"I might." He responded, looking down at her. "Okay. I will go look around and you... Just keep decorating." He said, smirking at her. "Are you hungry at all?"

"I'm fine for now." She said, smiling slightly, pushing her hand through her hair, following him down the stairs.

xxxx

"Why are we making cookies?" Nathan asked, kicking his legs from his seat on the counter,

"We aren't making them. I'm making them." Haley reminded him, shaking her head. "I tried to get you to help me, but you started eating the dough, so now you're banned from helping."

Nathan reached across the sink, dipping his finger in the bowl, winking at her. "So, why are we doing this?"

"Because, Nathan. I'm getting you in the Christmas Spirit." She responded, smiling at her, smacking his hand. "My mom used to always make cookies, and she would let me and my siblings frost them."

"Are you going to let me frost them?" He asked, hopping off the counter.

"Maybe." She hummed, looking at him. "You can roll out the dough if you want. I figured that you wouldn't have cookie cutters, so I got you some." She informed him, winking at him.

"I'm not sure I've had homemade cookies ever in my life." He said, looking at her, grabbing the rolling pin, handing it to her.

Her gaze moved to his, raising her eyebrows. "I'm sure you have." She said slowly.

"My mom wasn't great in the cooking department." He said quietly, clearing his throat. "I don't know. Maybe at a class party when I was a kid." He said, looking away from her, letting out a small sigh. "What letter are we on?" He changed the subject, sending her a small smile.

Haley looked at him in surprise, beginning to show him how to flatten the dough. "I believe we were on K." She hummed quietly, stepping away from the countertop.

Nathan stepped up, taking her place, gripping the rolling pin. "Let me think..."

Haley hesitated for a moment, before stepping up behind him, standing on her toes so she could see over his shoulder easier, resting her chin on his shoulder, her hands sliding down his arms until her hands came to rest on his, carefully guiding them.

This could be defined as leading him on. It most likely was leading him on. But the feelings were there, it was just going to take a little bit of time. And she hoped he would be okay with that.

Nathan closed his eyes for a brief moment, clearing his throat. "Wow, you're a great friend." He said quietly, a small smirk forming on his face.

She chuckled quietly, glancing up at his face, taking in his presence. His smell. He was amazing. She felt a need to be close to him when she could see him starting to close himself off from her. To assure him in some type of way that she wasn't going to let him just slip away so easily.

"I've been told that before." She said softly, biting her lip carefully.

Nathan closed his eyes, letting her hands guide him. Maybe he could like Christmas. Today wasn't bad. Today was good. It had been a long time since he hadn't thrown a tantrum, or drank himself to sleep. It was a good day. He sure as hell liked having her with him. Especially in the position they were in now. He was suddenly aware just how much shorter than him she was. She was on her toes to put her chin on his shoulder. It was so cute. She... She was so cute.

"You do this with all your friends?" He asked her quietly, glancing at her.

"Depends." She said, humming softly in his ear, brushing her thumbs over his knuckles.

"On what, exactly?" He asked her, his eyes fluttering shut. His heart was pounding in his chest. It was ridiculous. This was definitely flirting. It had to be.

"You'd like to know that, wouldn't you?" She said, moving her hands up his arms briefly, before stepping away from him. "Okay. That's good enough." She said, pulling various shapes of cookie cutters out of the bag, looking over at him.

Nathan looked at her, shaking his head. "No, I actually don't need to know." He said, smirking at her. "I can guess."

"Doubtful." She said, winking at him, handing him a tree shape, stepping to his side.

"I'll just give you a hint of what I think it has to do with." He said, looking down at her. When their eyes met, his smirk grew. "Kissing. Which also happens to be my K."

"Funny, mine too." She responded, nudging her elbow into his side, before getting to work on cutting out the shapes.

He grinned at her, watching her as she worked, not really doing much to help, just enjoying the view of her. She was so beautiful. He liked the snow before but right now, he was extremely grateful for it.

"Stop staring at me and get to work, chop chop. Or else I'll eat them all." She hummed, her cheeks tinted red.

"My ingredients." He responded, shaking his head and laughing, beginning to do as he was told.

A short while later, the cookies were in the oven, and Haley turned to Nathan

"So, this might sound crazy and overboard, but I got you something else." She hummed, stepping over to him. "I don't think you'll like it, but I'm giving you the whole experience. The works. Since I feel like December 25th is just another day to you, I'm giving you Christmas a couple weeks early." She began, looking up at him.

Nathan raised his eyebrows, looking down at her. "What is it?" He asked her, chuckling. "Is this a gift I bought for myself?"

"No, I snuck this one." She hummed, beginning to search through the now empty bags, until she found the one with the desired contents in it. She turned back to him, holding them out to him.

He blinked in confusion, taking them from her. "Are they... Pajamas?" He asked her, laughing and looking down and the gray t-shirt and red plaid bottoms.

"Don't act so surprised, Scott. It's a tradition." She said, smirking at him. "I bought myself some too, so you won't be alone in it." She said, holding up some pajamas that looked fairly similar to his.

He chuckled quietly, looking at her. "Well, this is one thing that a girl has never bought me. Usually they want me to take off clothes, not encourage me to put more one." He said, looking down at the clothing in his hands. "Christmas Tradition, huh?"

"I'm beginning to feel like you hate my gift." She joked, raising her eyebrows at him. "It doesn't matter. You're wearing them, and we're going to watch Hallmark movies until the cookies are done."

"What exactly are these Hallmark movies that you keep bringing up?" He asked her, chuckling quietly.

"You're about to be introduced into the wonderful world of Christmas movies, Nathan Scott. So go get those pajamas on, and get ready to relax." She said, tapping his chest, disappearing down the hall.

Nathan chuckled, shaking his head and raising his eyebrows, heading upstairs towards his room. He honestly couldn't believe he was doing this. He'd never really done anything big on Christmas. Ever, so this was different. Very different. Four days ago, he never thought he would see this girl again. Now she was in his house, forcing him to decorate, and make cookies, and wear pajamas, and watch Christmas movies... He absolutely adored it. For some reason, he was smitten by the bossy girl downstairs. So smitten that he wasn't going to argue when it came to being friends, because her reasoning made sense, and he'd still get to spend time with her if they were friends. He shook his head at himself, undressing and stepping into the bathroom, looking at himself in the mirror. At least she had not picked out something completely crazy. Not that it mattered, he probably would've worn it.

When he stepped back downstairs, he found her sitting on the couch, a blanket draped across her lap, flicking through the TV channels.

"You really make yourself comfortable, don't you?" He asked her, taking a seat next to her, pulling the blanket over his legs.

"Things that you need to know about me. When I feel comfortable, I make myself comfortable." She hummed, looking at him.

"I guess that must mean you feel comfortable around me." He said, resting his arm behind her on the couch, staring up at the TV as she found the channel she was looking for.

"Yes! It just started, this is a good one." She informed him, smiling up at him. He looked relaxed, as she had asked him to do. He was smiling, and his eyes weren't so... Dull. The shirt she'd picked out fit him well. She could almost see the defined muscles underneath it. She leaned her head back, it coming in contact with his arm, causing her to smile once again.

He turned his attention from her to the TV, his fingers moving down to gently brush over her shoulder, before his hand moved back on top of the couch cushion.

She liked this. A lot. She was beginning to like him. A lot. But she knew so little about him, so she had to stop herself from cuddling up into his warm side, or staring at his handsome face a little too long. She had to know more, before she jumped in head first only to find concrete at the bottom. It was going to be a challenge, spending one day just the two of them had already been difficult. But she was too curious about him to just brush everything off and pretend like a stable relationship would be built by the silence. It sure was good to see him again though. She still found herself running through the past couple days in her head, wondering how it all happened. It didn't really matter though. Because he was here, and she was next to him. So why shouldn't she indulge in her teenage dream a little bit? Just resting her head on his shoulder wouldn't harm anyone. Hopefully not. She didn't want to risk hurting him in any type of way, since she could already see the hurt in his eyes. But here she was, sitting next to a guy that she thought about quite a bit for only spending one day together all those years ago, and she really didn't want to give up the opportunity to cuddle up next to him. He knew where she stood, yet he was still brushing his fingers over her should every once and awhile, and his arm was still around her shoulders. So she did just want she wanted to do, and rested her head against his shoulder, shifting her body slightly, staring up at the TV, smiling slightly.

Nathan closed his eyes for a brief moment, glancing down at her and smiling, letting his hand drop permanently onto her shoulder, giving it a light squeeze, before his eyes moved back to the screen.

They pulled apart when there was a loud ding from the oven, causing Haley to pause the movie and stand up. "We need to frost them." She hummed, walking into the kitchen, pulling the cookies out of the oven.

Nathan followed her, a small smile on his face. "Just as well. I've seen one of these movies and I can already tell you exactly how it ends." He informed her, "Scratch that, I've seen minutes of one movie."

"Shut up. So they're predictable? Oh well. It makes good television " She said, waving her hand around.

"She's stuck in this town. Her car is supposed to be fixed by tomorrow, but I suspect that something else is going to go wrong and she's going to have to spend time with the guy and they don't like each other right now, but they're going to realize the things they have in common, share a special moment, then bam. In love after a week." He said simply, shrugging his shoulders.

"Be quiet, I hate it when people spoil the ends of movies." She said, moving the cookies off of the pan, shaking her finger at him.

"You've seen it." He argued, laughing and looking at the cookies. "We didn't make frosting."

"I know, I was going to let them cool off a bit while I made frosting. You can go watch the movie." She hummed, smiling at him.

Nathan looked over to the countertop when his phone started buzzing, sighing softly. "I'll get that, and then I'll come back and help you. Clay gets... Weird if I don't answer." He said, picking up the phone, sending her a small smile and rushing out of the room.

"Hey Nate!" Clay said into the phone, "Just wanted to let you know that we made it safely to Hawaii. Quinn wouldn't let me call you once we got off the plane, she's in the shower right now and that's the only reason I'm allowed to call you." He joked into the phone.

"Hey." Nathan responded, letting out a deep breath. "I'm glad you made it there safely."

"Yeah, there's a few hours time difference, so you better let me stick to calling you, unless it's an emergency. But still text me hourly updates, I wasn't joking about that." Clay informed him.

"I will. Sorry, it's been a busy morning." Nathan replied, "I'll start texting them to you right away."

"Thank you. Good busy, or I don't want to know busy?" Clay asked him.

Nathan glanced towards the kitchen, blowing out a deep breath. "You don't want to know busy." He said, clearing his throat.

The line was quiet for a second, before Clay spoke up again. "Is Luke there?" He asked, sighing softly.

"No, he's at a meeting." Nathan said, scratching the back of his head.

"Are you alone?" Clay questioned him.

"No." Nathan responded, "There's a girl here."

"Dammit, Nathan!" Clay groaned into the phone. "My hair is going to turn gray by the end of this honeymoon, I'm going to make myself sick with worry."

"Relax, Clay." Nathan chuckled, rolling his eyes at his friends dramatic words.

"Did you at least do your workouts? I left you a list on your nightstand." Clay asked him.

"Not yet. I'll get them done tonight." Nathan sighed, rubbing his neck, leaning back against the wall.

"Did you take your pills? How many?" Clay kept firing questions at him.

Nathan shook his head, kicking at the ground. He hated feeling like a child. Thankfully this was over the phone, where Haley couldn't hear.

"I took one." He grumbled in response.

"You're supposed to take three." Clay said, sighing softly. "Nathan, if your back-"

"Clay, go jump in the shower with Quinn. Leave me alone, okay? I love you, man. But I hate taking those damn pills, so I took one and you're lucky you got me to do that. So enjoy your honeymoon, please. Stop putting your life on hold for me, buddy. I'll call you if I need you, I'll text you every hour. But just stop worrying, enjoy Hawaii and your beautiful wife." Nathan grumbled, hanging up the phone and shaking his head, letting out a deep breath. He wasn't going to let his friend's nagging get to him. Not when he had a beautiful girl waiting in his kitchen for him to come help her frost cookies. Hell no.

That wasn't a sentence he thought would ever cross his mind. With a quiet chuckle, and a head shake at himself, he headed back into the kitchen to help her.

xxxx

Shortly after the cookies were all frosted, the tree arrived, and they made a quick start in putting the ornaments and lights on it.

When that was done, they'd finally curled back up on the couch next to each other, playing the movie once again, while eating cookies, occasionally whispering quiet comments to each other.

The movie had ended about twenty minutes ago, another one playing right after, but Haley couldn't seem to keep her attention on it as she looked around the living room. She couldn't help but wonder how Nathan could afford such a nice house. He had not made it to the NBA, which the thought broke her heart a little bit. She remember the self-sure teenager that told her to keep an eye on her TV screen for him. Her gaze moved up to him, smiling slightly when his eyes moved down to connect with hers.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked her quietly, raising his eyebrows.

"I'm just wondering why there aren't any pictures of you." She said softly, smiling up at him.

Nathan stiffened slightly, causing her hand to instinctively smooth over his chest in an attempt to sooth him, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion as his eyes moved to the wall, his gaze dulling.

How was she ever supposed to find out anything about him if he reacted like this every time she asked him a personal question? It seemed simple in her head. Maybe he didn't like his picture taken, maybe Clay only wanted pictures of himself.

"There is one." He said, nodding towards the wall. "I didn't even want to put up a dumb picture wall. Clay did it after her started dating Quinn because he wanted pictures of her." He said, rolling his eyes.

"I think it's sweet." She said, sitting up slightly, smiling. "They're cute."

He looked at her, sighing softly. "I don't know. I don't have anyone that I care enough about to put pictures up." He said, clearing his throat. "I just let Clay do whatever he wants. He's going to come get them eventually."

Haley nodded slowly, allowing her head to fall back down onto his shoulder. "Lucas?"

"There are pictures of Clay and Lucas up there. And Clay and Chase." He responded, letting out a deep breath. "You keep bringing up Lucas as if he's the most important person in the world, but he's not that great."

Haley smiled slightly at his words, letting out a deep breath. "You two just seen to be close." She said softly. "It's not my place, so let's just drop it. But if you want to talk about it, I'm here."

Nathan looked at her for a second, letting out a deep breath, pushing his hand through his hair. "Haley..." He let out a deep breath. "Why?"

"I don't know why." She said simply, shrugging her shoulders. "We don't really know each other, Nathan. But I want to know you. Because I'd be lying if I said you haven't crossed my mind more than a few times over the past seven years." She said softly, sending him a small smile.

"I'm not the same guy. I'm trying to be while you're here, but I'm not that guy." He said softly, looking away from her.

She rested her hand on his cheek, forcing him to look at her. She felt his words send a shock of pain through her. The way he looked away from her, the way his eyes would land on hers for a brief moment, then dodge away. It was heart-wrenching to see the broken look in his eyes yet again. "I hardly knew whoever you were in high school, so I want to know you now." She said softly, nodding at him.

Nathan let out a deep breath, threading his hand into his hair once again. Push her away, Nathan. Get away from her. His brain wouldn't stop yelling at him, stop arguing with him. But he really didn't want to. He wasn't going to. She wasn't pushing him, wasn't pressuring him to tell her his life story. She was saying something so simple. So why did he feel the need to escape the situation?

Before he could even respond, she shoved a cookie into his mouth, resting her head back on his shoulder, her gaze moving back to the TV.

He definitely didn't want to push her away. Maybe one day she'd end up in a picture frame around his house. Maybe.

xxxx

He was asleep when Lucas stepped through the front door. With Haley laying against him, her fingers lightly brushing along his side in her own sleeping state, he felt comfortable. More comfortable than he had in a long time. It was weird.

Lucas cleared his throat, which caused him to snap out of his dozing state, looking up at his older brother.

"Luke. What are you doing home?" He asked him, his voice gruff from sleep.

"It's seven o'clock." Lucas chuckled in response, looking at the two of them.

Nathan blinked, looking towards the window. It was dark outside. What the hell? Where had the time gone? His gaze shifted down to Haley, letting out a deep breath. She was so cute when she was asleep, especially against him.

"What the hell happened in here? I leave for twelve hours, and come home to Christmas Land. Not to mention you're wearing pajamas." Lucas said, smirking at him, glancing at Haley. "And do I even want to..."

"Shut up." Nathan cut him off, letting out an annoyed sigh. He nudged Haley lightly, rubbing his neck.

Haley lifted up her head quickly, looking around the room with a confused look in her eyes. Her gaze eventually landed on Nathan, sitting up, removing her hand from him. "Sorry." She said quickly, letting out a deep breath.

Nathan shook his head, sending her a small smile. "Don't worry about it." He chuckled, sitting up a bit straighter and stretching out his back.

Haley eyed him as she watched him arch his back, a moment of worry flashing through her. Was his back hurting? She shouldn't have let herself fall asleep. He was just so warm and comfortable.

"Are you okay?" She asked him softly, her gaze flicking to where Lucas was standing, cheeks tinting pink.

"Yeah." Nathan responded, raising his eyebrows. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She said, glancing out the window. "What time is it?" She asked him quickly, reaching for her phone on the coffee table, letting out a deep breath, standing up quickly.

"What?" He asked her, standing up slowly. "Is everything okay?"

"My family members have called me dozens of time." She said slowly, letting out a deep breath. "Would you excuse me?"

"Yeah, of course. Go right ahead." He responded, rubbing his neck, watching her hurry away.

Lucas picked up a cookie, smirking slightly. "What have you been up to today, Nathan?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Nothing." Nathan grumbled in response, turning off the TV, clearing his throat.

"Celebrating Christmas early?" Lucas said, taking a bite. "Damn, these are good." He chuckled, "You make these?"

"I helped. Sort of." Nathan said, running his fingers through his dark hair. "What's that look on your face?"

"Nothing. It's just like I came home to a different person than my little brother. Tell me about the pajamas, hm?" Lucas said, nodding at him.

"Shut up, Lucas. It's nothing. I just... Nothing." Nathan responded, looking around the room. "So we got a little carried away? It's nothing."

"Have fun taking all of this down." Lucas responded, picking up another cookie, nodding at Haley when she walked back into the room, wearing her clothes now, holding the pajamas in her arms. "Haley. Nice to see you again. Great cookies." He said, turning and walking up the stairs.

"Thank you." She responded, smiling after him, looking at Nathan. "I have to go. I called myself a cab." She hummed, stepping towards him.

"Okay." He responded, smiling at her. "What are your plans for tomorrow?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Well, if my flight gets canceled again, I will let you know." She laughed, winking at him.

"Can't wait. Hoping the weather will pull through again." He chuckled, letting out a deep breath. "Where are you staying tonight?"

"Taylor invited me to stay in her hotel room with her, but I really don't think that's a great idea, so I'm just going to crash at Clay and Quinn's house." She responded, nodding up at him. "My flight is at seven tomorrow, so if it does end up getting canceled, maybe we can meet for breakfast?" She suggested, brushing her fingers down his arm.

"I'd like that." He responded, smiling brightly at her.

It wasn't long until the car pulled up in front of his house to take Haley to her desired destination.

Nathan walked her over to the car, smiling down at her. "Let me know what's going on, because I'd be more than happy to spend another day like this one." He said, nodding at her.

Haley smiled brightly, resting her hand on his face for a brief moment, kissing his cheek. "Definitely." She said softly, pulling him into a tight hug.

He wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing the top of her head, before pulling the car door open, helping her inside.

"Bye, Hales."

"Bye, Nathan."


	6. Chapter 6

**I really enjoy writing this story (hence the quick updates). It's a side of Nathan that I've never really written before and I think it's interesting. I appreciate all the feedback, and I am working on updating my other stories but these chapters just flow.**

 **Thank you for reading.**

 **Chapter 6**

Haley smiled down at her phone as yet another text from Nathan came through. She could feel her heart skip a beat every time his name flashed on her screen. Unfortunately, her flight had not been cancelled a week ago, only delayed, which meant they still had a chance to meet up for breakfast before departing. It had only been a week since she'd seen him, but she missed him. More than she thought she would. They'd talked on the phone every night, texted back and forth all day. Even when she was at school, every free moment she had, she'd respond to his texts. Now that it was break, there was nothing stopping her. She'd learned just a little bit more about him as the days passed. Nothing deeply personal, but information was information. He hated the sound of a metal fork scratching against a plate, the feeling of wet paper, and one that she'd added to the list, opening up. She tried her best to answer any question he asked her, because she desperately wanted him to do the same. It was frustrating, but captivating at the same time oddly enough. She wanted to rid him of whatever pain he was feeling. As the days went by, she only cared for him even more. She'd never had feelings develop so quickly for anyone. She smiled as yet another text came through from him.

"Seriously, Haley?" Brooke laughed, grabbing her phone from her hands. "I bring you to this amazing club with hot guys everywhere, and you spend it texting your dark haired, blue eyed friends with benefits buddy?" She questioned her, shaking her head. "That guy over there has not stopped staring at you. I'm pretty sure he sent over that drink that you haven't noticed." Brooke hummed, scrolling through her and Nathan's messages a bit, before setting her phone back on the table. "Get drunk, Miss James. Forget about what's his face."

"Nathan." Haley said, clearing her throat and looking down at her phone, biting her lip lightly.

"Not Nathan. Chris. Forget about Chris. You haven't even gotten drunk and made out with a random guy yet. It's our ritual, isn't it? I broke up with Owen, you took me to the very bar that he works at and I made out with-"

"You dragged me to the bar, and I told you it was a bad idea. You made out with Owen." Haley laughed, shaking her head. "I told you a different story to spare your feelings, but you ended up making out with Owen."

Brooke gasped, shaking her head. "I didn't." She groaned, pushing her hand through her hair, sighing at Haley's nod. "Well, it doesn't matter. Look at how hot that guy is over there."

Haley glanced over briefly, sighing softly. He was cute enough. But... Nathan was cuter. She should call him right now. If she could get rid of Brooke for just a few minutes.

"I think he's staring at you. I mean, you are Brooke Davis." Haley said, nudging her and winking at her, nodding in the direction of the guy.

"Oh, be quiet. You're Haley James." Brooke responded, shaking her head. "You're like the prettiest girl in this place." She hummed, curling her arm through Haley's. "You told me he wasn't your boyfriend."

"He's not. But..." Haley shrugged her shoulders, "I like him." She said simply, letting out a deep breath.

Brooke sighed softly, "Fine, fine. Go call lover boy." She said, waving her hand, picking up her drink. "Make it quick so we can get back to girls night."

Haley stood up quickly, "I'll be quick, I'm sorry." She said, biting her lip. She let out a deep breath, heading out of the building quickly, pulling out her phone. She quickly found Nathan's name in her contacts, pressing the little phone by his name, holding it up to her ear.

Within seconds, Nathan had picked up the phone. Haley couldn't almost hear the smile in his voice as he answered her.

"Haley James. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Nathan questioned into the phone.

She rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "You answer the phone like that every time I call you." She responded, smiling brightly.

"Hearing from you is always a pleasure." He hummed, letting out a deep breath.

"Funny. What are you doing right now?" She asked him, biting her lip lightly.

"I just got done working out, and now I'm watching basketball on TV." He responded, chuckling quietly.

Basketball. Interesting. In all of their conversations, he never once mentioned basketball, despite the love and passion she'd seen in his eyes for it all those years ago.

"Really? Who's winning?" She asked him curiously, a small smile on her face.

"Not Duke, that's for sure." He grumbled, lacing his fingers into his hair. "Not a very interesting night. Luke went home today, so I can't even bother him." He said, sighing softly.

"Where does Lucas live?" She asked him, smiling slightly.

"Why? You want to go all stalker fan on him?" He teased her, smirking.

"No." She groaned, rolling her eyes. "Just wondering how far he is from you."

"He lives in California still." Nathan informed her, letting out a deep breath. "He's a mama's boy, can't be too far from her."

"What about you?" She asked him softly, biting her lip, listening as the phone went dead silent. She couldn't even hear him breathing.

"Not exactly. What are you doing right now?" He changed the subject after a moment.

Haley let out a quiet sigh, leaning back against the brick behind her. "I'm at a club. With Brooke."

"Really? I wouldn't have pegged you as a partier." He chuckled into the phone.

"Yeah, well... You'd be surprised." She said sarcastically, shaking her head. "Not really." She responded, pushing her hand through her hair. "If you haven't noticed from out nightly conversations, I usually sit at home and grade assignments."

"Now that it's winter break the wild side comes out?" He asked her, laughing.

"Exactly." She responded, biting her lip lightly. "Brooke just likes me to drive her home."

"If that's your story." He said to her, letting out a deep breath. "What are you doing tomorrow? Assuming you don't find your one true love tonight and run off into the sunset?"

She laughed again, rolling her eyes. "I haven't figured that out yet. Probably going to get some last minute Christmas shopping in." She hummed to him.

"Can I take you to lunch?" He asked her, smirking slightly.

"I hate to be the downer, Nathan, but New York is kind of far from North Carolina." She reminded him, shaking her head.

"I know. But it's a quick plane ride." He said to her. "Please?"

Was he being serious? Was he really going to fly all the way here just to take her to lunch? Judging from his house, he probably could do so stress-free, but it was too much. Would he really be willing to do that?

"I'm guessing you're rambling on inside your head, so to answer your question, I would be willing to do that." He informed her, smiling slightly.

"How the hell did you know?" She asked him, laughing quietly.

"Because when you're silent like that, it means you're thinking about a million questions you want to ask. Or I just said something charming and you're thinking about how sexy I am." He hummed to her, chuckling quietly.

Both very true. It was odd how he seemed to know her thoughts after hardly any time together. And it may sound odd, but she did miss him.

"If you fly here, then I'm buying lunch." She propositioned him, biting her lip lightly.

"We can discuss that later." He responded, grinning. "I'm excited to see you."

"Me too." She said to him, letting out a deep breath. "What time can I pick you up from the airport?"

"I will get back to you on that." Nathan told her. "And I will let you get back to your super fun night out. Don't get too crazy, Ms. James."

"No promises." Haley laughed, telling him a quiet goodbye, before hanging up the phone.

Nathan tossed his phone on the couch next to him, staring up at the screen, pushing his hand through his hair. He stared up at the screen, picking up the bottle that was sitting on his coffee table, examining it and letting out a deep breath.

He glanced over at the table where two other empty bottles sat, his eyes moving back to the screen. The Finals. The game they lost due to his own stupidity. He looked at his phone, shaking his head. For the past week he'd basically sat at home, waiting for her messages and her phone calls, which left him a lot of time to think. And he usually found that thinking was never good for him. His gaze moved up to the screen once again, and he winced at the score. Duke was down fifteen and it was only the second quarter. He still felt sick as he watched it. He knew the outcome. Lucas had told him what happened. Clay had told him what happened. He sighed loudly, picking up one of the empty bottles, throwing it at the wall next to the TV screen, picking up the remote and shutting it off, pressing his face into his hands, before picking up the newly opened bottle, proceeding to drink it.

Six thousand plus points to his thoughts, zero points to him.

xxxx

Haley let out a deep breath as she saw Nathan staring at the luggage belt, scratching the back of his head and looking rather confused. She laughed quietly, biting down on her lip, smiling slightly. He looked almost in a daze.

She stepped up next to him, glancing up at him. "You know, you might find your luggage if you actually look for it." She said, nudging him lightly.

Nathan's eyes moved to her, grinning slightly. "How long have you been standing there?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows.

"Not long. You told me you would meet me ten minutes ago, and I figured that maybe I would find you here." She said, resting her hand on his arm, shifting her eyes back to the belt. "What does it look like?"

He shifted slightly, tugging the duffle bag off his shoulder. "I only brought a carry on." He said, clearing his throat. "I don't... Have any other luggage."

She sent him a questioning look, nodding slowly. "Well... Alright. You ready to receive the Tree Hill Tour?" She asked him, linking her arm though his, giving his bicep a soft squeeze.

"I haven't been in North Carolina for awhile." He said slowly, looking around, allowing her to lead him out to her car.

"Tree Hill is different than Durham." She said softly, glancing over at him. He was acting weird. Could she even think that? To her knowledge, he was acting weird. Something was definitely different than the last time she saw him.

"Very different from New York especially." She added, biting her lip, leading him up to her car, opening the trunk. "You can put your bag in here."

Nathan dropped his duffle bag into the trunk, rushing around to the driver's side, pulling her door open quickly, smiling at her. "Thanks for picking me up." He said, looking down at her once she approached him again.

Haley smiled at him, "You showed around New York, it's my turn to return the favor." She said, getting in the car, looking over while he walked around and got in as well.

He smirked over at her, letting out a deep breath. "Can't wait to see where you grew up, Haley James." He said, reaching over, grabbing her hand briefly, giving it a soft squeeze.

"It's really not that interesting, but it's home." She said to him, tapping her hand on his leg once. "Sit tight, Nathan Scott. You're in for the tour of your life." She hummed, grinning at him, putting the car in drive, beginning the tour.

After Haley showed him around for awhile, they went and got lunch, before they ended up at Tree Hill High School.

"And this is my high school. And the school I teach at." She said, gesturing outside the car.

"Really?" He said, smirking slightly. "That must mean you have a key or something, yeah?" He said, raising his eyebrows at her.

"I'm not giving you a tour." She laughed, looking over at him, meeting his gaze. The way he was staring at her... Of course she was going to give him a tour. In fact, if he continued to give her those puppy dog eyes, she'd probably do anything he wanted.

"Come on, Hales. Please?" Nathan asked her, nudging her lightly. "I want to see what it's like. It's smaller than my school."

Haley sighed, getting out of the car slowly, shaking her head and looking over at him and he got out as well, moving to her side and dropping his arm around her shoulders. "Lead the way."

She slowly walked into the school, allowing herself to lean into his side lightly. She looked around the empty, dark hallways.

"I feel like I'm sneaking into the school." She laughed, rolling her eyes and setting her keys back in her purse. "I never would've done that in high school."

"Except you're not." He chuckled, smiling down at her, looking around when the lights started to flicker on. "Tree Hill Ravens. Not bad."

"Unfortunately, we were." She said, shaking her head. "I hardly know anything about any sports, but we were awful." She groaned, laughing quietly.

"It's because all the players were distracted by the beautiful cheerleader." He responded, smiling at her.

"No, because they all wanted to be the star." She said, rolling her eyes. "No one would take leadership, because they all wanted to be the leaders."

"I was team captain of my basketball team." He said softly, looking around. "There's a trophy in football." He said, gesturing towards the case.

"The last time this school won anything was when my brother played for them. My oldest brother, who is like twelve years older than me." She said, shaking her head.

"Oh... Well at least they won that." He chuckled, looking down at her. "If it makes you feel better, I've only won one state championship."

"Really?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"My senior year." He said, his eyes moving back to the trophy case. "We would've won my junior year, but my asshat brother couldn't hit an easy three." He grumbled, shaking his head. "Luckily he made it the following year."

"You gave up the winning shot?" She asked him, brushing her fingers over his arm, resting her chin on his shoulder, looking up at him.

"I'd pretty much won the game for us, he just had to take the last shot." He said, glancing down at her, smiling slightly.

"Did you have any cheerleaders cheering you on from the sidelines?" She asked him, winking at him.

"Every single one of them." He responded, his smile turning into a smirk.

She smacked his arm lightly, shaking her head. "I've been on break for under a week and I'm still relieved to be back here." She laughed, "Why don't I show you my classroom? It's nothing spectacular."

"I would like that." He said, grabbing onto her hand, lacing their fingers together, sending her a small smile.

Haley let out a deep breath, half tempted to pull her hand from his. But she didn't want to. Not even a little bit. So she didn't, and instead she dragged him down the hall until she approached her classroom, pulling her keys out of her purse once again, unlocking the door, pushing it open and turning on the lights.

"Wow. So this is your place." He said, looking around and smiling slightly. "Do you mind?" He asked, gesturing over to her desk. "I want the true experience."

Haley smiled at him, moving to stand at the front of the class, picking up one of the dry erase markers, beginning to write the name 'Shakespeare' in the board.

Nathan took a seat in the front and center desk, looking up and groaning, shaking his head. "Hell no." He laughed, rolling his eyes.

She shrugged her shoulders, before beginning to erase it off the board, glancing over her shoulder when Nathan suddenly appeared behind her, picking up a blue marker, beginning to write. In blocky, all capital letters he wrote: 'Detention: Nathan Scott'

She looked over her shoulder at him, shaking her head and laughing. "Shut up." She said, pushing her elbow back into his side.

"I wouldn't mind it if you kept me here for an hour after school. Well... That would mean that I'd have to go back to high school, and I'm not sure I want to do that." He said quietly, setting the marker down.

Haley's eyes shifted down, about to scold him for leaving the cap of the marker off, before she felt his hand trailing up and down her arm for a brief moment.

"You don't miss high school?" She asked him, closing her eyes and letting out a deep breath. He presence just made her feel... Both safe and uneasy at the same time. Safe because of the big strong body standing behind her, and the knowledge that he would do his best to protect her, but uneasy because of the person he was. How guarded and untrusting he was.

"You don't want to know the half of my high school experience." He said softly into her ear, closing his eyes and letting out a deep breath.

Haley shivered slightly, blinking her eyes open, picking up the marker and snapping the cap back onto it, forcing herself to take a small step forward, erasing his name from the board. "Looks like you're free to go."

He chuckled quietly, sitting down at her desk, swiveling her chair around a bit. "You've got a nice set up here." He said, picking up one of the pictures on her desk.

"I know." She laughed, leaning against her desk, looking down at the picture in his hand. "Those are my nieces and nephews."

"There are a lot of them." He hummed, raising his eyebrows. "You know, kids like me a lot."

"Oh?" She asked him, smiling slightly.

"Yeah, I don't really know why." He shrugged his shoulders, setting the picture down, lifting up another one. "Who is this?" He asked her curiously.

Haley looked at the picture, sighing softly. "That's my friend." She said slowly, taking the picture from his hands, looking down at it.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to-" He began, before she cut him off.

"No, no." She waved her hand at him, letting out a deep breath. "His name is Jake." She said quietly, looking down at him. "He was one of my friends in high school, and during our junior year, his girlfriend had a baby."

"I don't need to-"

"I don't mind talking about it, Nathan." She cut him off, "Let's just say, she wasn't the most ideal mother and kind of abandoned him with her- Jenny. And then she tried to get back into the picture, and he had to leave. I haven't seen him since." She said, smiling down at the picture, setting it down. "I talk to him every once and awhile, but besides that... Nothing really."

Nathan nodded at her, smiling slightly. "I'm sorry to hear about that." He said, leaning back in the chair, brushing his fingers through his hair.

"Yeah, but it's fine." She said, standing up and holding out her hand to him. "Let me show you the rest of the school." She hummed, smiling at him.

Nathan grabbed onto her hand, standing up. He looked at her, giving her hand a light squeeze. "Are you okay?"

She laughed, looking at him and raising her eyebrows. "Yeah, Nathan. I'm fine." She said, smiling. "Seriously, it's been years."

He nodded at her, letting out a deep breath, shifting slightly. He hated that no matter how open she was with him, he still wasn't going to let himself open up to her. He knew that, and he would probably burn this to the ground.

It wasn't long before Haley led him into a building separate from the school. When they stepped inside, he felt his heart drop into his stomach. A gym.

She looked nervous to bring him here, biting down her lip as she watched his reaction, shifting slightly, her hand holding tightly to his.

Nathan looked around the gym, letting out a deep breath, glancing over at her. "Cool." He managed to say, his gaze shifting to the smooth, glossy wooden surface.

She smiled at him, squeezing his hand lightly when she felt his grip on her hand start to loosen. "Thought you might like it."

"It's nice." He said, stepping out onto the floor, looking around. This was the first time he'd been on a basketball court since he'd injured his back, and it felt like the walls were closing in on him. He couldn't stand being here, but his legs carried him to the center of the court. He felt like he couldn't breath. This had been his whole life... And it was gone. Every day he missed it. Every day he wished that things could've been different. He moved his eyes to Haley, who was still watching him nervously. She knew. Someone had told her. She knew but she wasn't going to say anything.

"So, if we'd gone to the same high school..." Haley began, a small smile on her face as she gave his hand one last squeeze, before stepping away towards the sidelines. "I would be here, and you would be there."

His gaze narrowed in on her, a smile breaking out onto his face. He took a couple of steps forward until he was just behind the three point arc, pretending as though there was a ball in his hands, jumping up and shooting it.

"It would've gone in." He assured her, winking in her direction.

"Oh I'm sure it would have." She responded, laughing and waving her hands in the air. "I'm sure the crowds would be screaming."

"I like the buzzer beater shots. They make the game intense. But I also like to win by fifteen." He chuckled, jogging under the hoop and pretending to scoop the ball up off the ground.

She smiled at him, letting out a deep breath. "I can't even make a free shot." She said, shaking her head.

He stopped dead in his tracks, looked at her and burst into laughter, shaking his head quickly.

"What?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows. "Why are you laughing?"

"It's a free throw, Haley." He said, walking over to her, grabbing her hand and pulling her over to the free throw line. "Humor me for a second." He said, moving her so that she was standing on the black line. He held out his hand to her. "Take the ball." He joked, winking at her.

"I feel like a kid." She laughed, doing as he asked, rolling her eyes.

"Alright." He said, stepping up behind her, resting his hands on her hips. "Alright, square your shoulders to the basket." He said softly, "Relax your hips." He grabbed her hands, holding them up in position, letting out a deep breath, before his hands restarted to her waist. "You're in perfect position."

"So are you." She shot back, biting down on her lip and glancing over at him, smiling at the smirk on his face.

"Don't look at me, look at the basket." He said quietly, nodding his head toward the hoop. "Now shoot." He whispered to her, his lips brushing against her ear.

Haley's eyes fluttered, and she did what she was told, most definitely looking awful while she was doing it, but oh well.

"Far left, Hales. That was horrible." He laughed, looking at her, shaking his head. "You completely air ball the whole basket, didn't even hit the backboard."

She turned around, shoving him carefully. "Hey!" She laughed, shaking her head. "That was perfect. If I had a real ball, it would've been in." She said, rolling her eyes. "Maybe you're just bad at teaching."

Nathan laughed, pretending to spin a ball on his finger. "Doubtful. I never missed my free throws. I could do it in my sleep, without looking, backwards, you name it. I always know where the basket is." He said, turning back to the hoop. "Try me."

She laughed, stepping behind him now and covering his eyes. "Go for it, Scott." She said to him, smiling.

Nathan faked as though he was shooting, shaking his head. "I heard the swish. It went in, didn't it?" He chuckled, grabbing her hands a moving them off his face. "Told you, I don't miss free throws." He hummed, turning around.

"Good job." She said, smiling up at him. "And apparently, I still suck at imaginary basketball." She laughed, rolling her eyes.

He smiled down at her, letting out a deep breath, suddenly becoming more aware of where he was... What he was doing. He looked around again, "Let's go somewhere else." He said quickly.

Haley nodded at him, smiling slightly. "Yeah, if you'd like." She said, resting her hand on his arm. "Any chance you want to see the house I grew up in?"

"Of course." He laughed, tugging her towards the exit, interlocking their fingers once again.

xxxx

"I have to admit, I kind of get the Mac and cheese thing." Nathan said to her, setting his fork down, smirking at her. "Well done." He said softly.

"I can't make my make-believe free throws, but I do know how to make this." Haley said, smiling at him, standing up, reaching over to grab his plate.

"Don't. Let me." He said softly, smiling at her, standing up quickly. "Please, Haley."

Haley looked at him, nodding slowly. "Yeah, sure." She said, letting out a deep breath. She looked over at the clock, before her eyes moved back to Nathan. "Do you want to... Watch a movie or something?"

Nathan looked at her, smiling slightly, stepping up to the kitchen sink. "You aren't tired of me yet?" He asked her, chuckling quietly.

"Give it a few days." She said, winking at him. "I'll pick a movie." She hummed, moving into the living room that was connected to the kitchen, beginning to search through the DVDs on her shelf.

He watched her, smiling slightly. She was so... Perfect. He could sit there and watch her look at movies all day long. There was just something about her. He wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her and just... Hug her. Nothing more. He just wanted to hold her in his arms.

He quickly cleaned off the dishes, setting them in the dishwasher, looking over at her. "Do you want me to start it?" He asked her, clearing his throat.

"No, not yet." She hummed, smiling over at him. "Feeling Christmas movies or something else?" She asked him.

"Something else." He chuckled, shaking his head. "I'm not sure how I feel about you forcing me into all this Christmas spirit."

She rolled her eyes, "Maybe I should put on a scary movie so you can hide behind me." She teased him, looking over at him.

He looked at her, laughing. "I don't get scared, Hales. Don't worry about me." He said, walking over, and falling down onto the couch, looking at her.

"Yeah, well I don't want to watch one." She said, sighing softly. "I don't know, Nathan. I'm horrible at choosing movies. I shouldn't have volunteered, because I don't know what kind of movies you like to watch."

"I don't watch a lot of movies." He said, pushing his hand through his hair. "Just pick one." He laughed, smiling at her.

Haley looked over at him, sighing softly, tapping her fingers on her legs. "Okay, okay." She said, tuning back to the shelves with movies arranged in alphabetical order. "How about..." She trailed off, looking over them. "This?" She asked him, holding up the movie.

He nodded his head, waving his hand towards the TV. "Whatever you want." He chuckled, winking at her.

She smiled, putting the movie in quickly, sitting next to him on the couch, folding her legs up on the couch underneath herself.

Nathan casually put his arm around her shoulders once again, smiling down at her, letting out a deep breath before turning his attention to the TV.

As soon as the movie was over, Nathan's eyes moved to Haley. He wasn't this guy... He didn't stay in and watch movies like he'd done with her. He didn't hang out with a girl. He'd spent plenty of time with women over the past while, but never like this. He wasn't this guy. He didn't fly to a different state to spend time with his own brother, much less a girl he hardly knew. He'd never follow anyone around like a puppy, or sit by his phone and wait for a phone call or text. Was he putting on a show? It didn't really feel like it, but he knew himself. He knew that while this was nice, she definitely deserved much better than him. Maybe she was just trying to fix him and then planning to drop him. Maybe she was just trying to find out his story.

He didn't want to think like that, but he couldn't stop his mind from wandering to those possibilities. He looked around her apartment, sighing softly.

"Hey." She hummed, nudging him slightly. "Do you mind waiting here for a second?" She asked him quietly, lifting her head up from off his shoulder and standing up slowly.

He looked up at her, shaking his head slowly. "No, go right ahead." He said, pushing his hand through his hair and sitting up straighter.

Haley disappeared for a couple minutes, before walking out of her bedroom, letting out a deep breath. "This is going to be cheesy. Horribly cheesy, so don't make fun of me." She laughed, shaking her head and smiling at him.

He raised his eyebrows, "Yeah, okay." He laughed, sitting up a bit straighter, resting his elbows on his knees and nodding.

She sighed softly, "This is embarrassing." She said, pulling her hands out from behind her back, holding out a small, colorful bracelet.

He stood up slowly, stepping over to her and taking it from her hands.

"If you don't know what this is, it's going to be even more embarrassing." She said, crossing her arms and looking up at him, biting her lip.

He looked at her, before looking down at the bracelet in his hands. "How could I forget this? Right after I gave it to you, you had me pinned up against the wall." He said, smirking slightly.

"Shut up!" She laughed, "If I remember correctly, which I do, it was you that had me pinned against the wall." She said, rolling her eyes at him.

"Oh yeah." He responded, looking down at her again, taking her arm, sliding the beaded bracelet onto her wrist. "Don't say I never gave you anything." He said softly, smiling down at her.

She smiled in response, looking up at him and letting out a deep breath, "Told you it was cheesy."

"Yeah." He responded, looking around and letting out a deep breath. "I better get going." He said softly, pushing his hand through his hair, taking a step away from her. "My stuff is still in your car, and I never even booked myself a place to stay because I kept telling myself that I would find one in a couple minutes, and well... Here we are." He chuckled, gesturing around.

Haley looked up at him, letting out a deep breath. "You can stay here." She suggested, nodding at him. "I mean- if you want. My couch is pretty comfy." She said, gesturing towards the couch.

"I didn't mean that." He said slowly, stepping away. "I can find a place, Haley. Sorry." He said, shaking his head.

"You don't have to. I'm serious, Nathan. Stay here." She said, letting out a deep breath. "Come on..."

"I shouldn't, Haley." He said, shaking his head, pushing his hand through his hair.

"Why not, Nathan? Why sleep in a hotel?" She asked, crossing her arms, raising her eyebrows and looking up at him.

"Because." He said lamely, shrugging his shoulders. "I just... I don't want to be a burden."

She laughed, smiling at him, "I would not have offered if I felt like you were going to inconvenience me." She said, resting her hand on his chest. "You can sleep on a couch, can you? Or are you too good for that?"

Haley held her breath as she said that, staring up at him. She really was just trying to subtly make sure that his back could handle it. She didn't want to force him to stay and sleep on the couch if he would wake up in pain.

He laughed, looking down at her. "Wow. Okay. Rough." He chuckled, shaking his head. "You know what? I can sleep on a couch." He said, rolling his eyes.

"Great." She laughed, walking over to the kitchen counter, picking up her car keys and tossing them to him. "You can go get your stuff from my car."

"Alright." He said, smiling at her, walking out the door. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, looking down at it. He had about ten missed calls from Clay from an hour ago. He let out a deep breath, shaking his head. He could call him later. Tomorrow, maybe.

He sighed softly, finding Haley's car in the lot, before heading back to her apartment, pausing at the door. Did he knock? Did he just go in? Why did he have to think so much when it came to her?

He squeezed his eyes shut for a second, glancing out towards a bus station about a block away. He could be there easily. Slide her keys under the door and go. He shook his head at himself, pushing open the door slowly, setting the her keys on the kitchen counted.

Haley came out a few seconds later, dropping a pillow and a few other things on the couch, walking over to him, lifting his bag off his shoulder, setting it down. "Everything okay?"

He looked down at her and smiled, "I'm great." He said softly, "I can go, Haley."

"I know." She said, shaking her head. "I don't want you to go. Do you hear me when I say that to you, Nathan? I don't want you to leave. I want you to stay." She said softly, smiling at him. "I appreciate your hesitancy, but trust me when I tell you that I want you to stay here. Saves me the trouble of needing to go pick you up from a hotel tomorrow." She said, nudging him.

He nodded at her, smiling slightly. She seemed so sure... He wasn't used to not being the confident one in a relationship. And by relationship he meant one night stands. He was used to be cocky, and arrogant, saying little things to charm a girl. And while maybe he worked a little of that on Haley... She was the one in control. She had so much grace to her. It was breathtaking. She was breathtaking. He needed her. In every sense of the word. It was odd to need someone that he'd only known for about a week of his life. He enjoyed her company. If anyone else put him in a basketball court, he would've turned and walked out. Any other girl, he probably wouldn't be offering to stay in a hotel right now, or sleeping on the couch.

"You look beautiful." He said to her, letting out a deep breath. "I like watching you here. You know what you're doing, and I like that." He complimented, resting his hand on her shoulder.

Haley looked up at him, yet another smile forming on her face. "Thank you." She said softly, closing her eyes and letting out a deep breath. "Do you want to go to the beach tomorrow?"

"I think I would follow you anywhere." He said, winking at her, tucking her hair behind her ear cautiously.

"You are so charming." She laughed, shaking her head. "Really, I don't know how you can respond to anything I say with a compliment."

"You make it easy." He responded, smirking at her.

She laughed again, pinching his cheek. "There it is again. Damn you're good." She informed him.

"I try." He chuckled, letting out a deep breath. "It's all you, really. You're amazing." He said, winking at her and letting out a deep breath.

"Stop it." She said, shaking her head and laughing. "I don't take compliments very well."

"Well, that won't stop me." He said, smirking at her, letting out a deep breath.

She looked up at him, biting her lip lightly. She liked him. She liked his compliments, and his laugh, his smile. She liked him. His little smirk he did when he said something cheeky.

She stepped forward, letting her arms wrap around his waist, her head resting against his shoulder. "I'm glad you came here, Nathan." She said quietly, closing her eyes.

Nathan smiled, letting his head rest lightly on hers, hugging her to him. "Me too." He said quietly, giving her a light squeeze. "I'm glad that you're like ten inches shorter than me as well."

"Funny." She laughed, looking up at him. "There's a bathroom right there. You're welcome to anything in the kitchen, you can watch TV if you want. Whatever." She said, gesturing around. "I'm going to head to bed because I'm really tired. Stayed out too late last night." She said, winking up at him. "If you need anything..."

"I'll be okay. Thank you, Haley." He said, sending her a small nod. "I appreciate you. But I really can just-"

"Stop it." She laughed, resting her hand on his cheek for a brief moment. "I'll see you in the morning, okay?" She said, nodding up at him.

"Okay." He said, pushing his hand through his hair, watching her turn and head into her bedroom. He let out a deep sigh, picking up his bag and heading into the bathroom.

xxxx

Haley lifted up her head off the coffee table, rubbing the pain out of her neck, blinking her eyes and sitting up straighter, looking around with confused eyes. What the hell? Why was she... Sitting in her living room with her head resting on the table?

Her eyes landed on the couch, and it came back to her. Around two in the morning... She'd woken up because she could hear him.

He'd been talking. Mumbling words that she couldn't make out from her bedroom, but he sounded... Panicked almost. So she'd poked her head out of her room, and saw him on the couch, on his stomach, shivering.

At first she thought he was cold, maybe. So she'd gotten another blanket, but when she moved closer to him, he wasn't cold. He was sweating. He didn't look peaceful, he looked stressed and tense. She could see the tense muscles in his back underneath his t-shirt. His hands were gripping the pillow case, the veins in his forearms popping out.

So she'd gently resting her hand in his back, rubbing it soothingly. Ran her fingers through his hair, over his biceps until he calmed down. For a brief moment, his eyes fluttered, and he looked at her, a confused look in his eyes, before he was coaxed back into sleep, relaxing under her hand, his arm dropping off the couch.

So she'd stayed with him. It was only supposed to be for a little while, but when she laid her head down, she must have fallen asleep.

And now he was gone. She stood up slowly, looking around her living room. His duffle bag was gone. His shoes were no longer sitting near the front door. Nothing. His phone wasn't plugged into the wall where it had been charging. She walked into her room, checking her own phone. No texts from him.

He left without a word.


	7. Chapter 7

**I feel like this is more of a filler chapter, but I like the way it turned out.**

 **Chapter 7**

Nathan slammed his glass down quickly, tapping the bar impatiently for Chase to pour him another drink, nodding his head. "Another." He said, clearing his throat. When Chase just looked at him, his started to tap the bar again, letting out a deep breath, fidgeting slightly. What the hell was he doing, just sitting there? He was buying, Chase needed to start pouring.

Chase's gaze shifted from the shot glass, to Nathan, before back down to the shot glass, then to his tapping hand.

"How's it going, Nate?" He asked him, resting his elbow on the bar, leaning against it.

Nathan glared at him, rolling his eyes. "It's shitty because you're not doing your damn job." He said, letting out a deep breath.

"I've been pouring you drinks nonstop for awhile man, I think it's time to take a break." Chase said, sighing softly. "You've been here every night, Nathan."

"Shit, Chase. Every night? What? How the hell did that happen? I had no idea that I've been here every night." Nathan spat back sarcastically, pushing the glass towards his friend, shaking his head.

Chase looked at him, shaking his head and sighing softly. "I'm going to call Clay." He said, stepping away from the bar.

Nathan stood up, his hand shooting out quickly, grabbing Chase's shirt and pulling him back. "Don't call Clay." He said, shaking his head and letting out a deep breath, falling back into his seat.

"Nathan." Chase sighed, picking up the glass and walking away, returning with a cup with water in it. "Drink this, then we'll talk about getting you some more shots."

"Bitch." Nathan grumbled, shaking his head. "I can go to another bar."

"Okay." Chase said simply, watching as Nathan made no move to stand up. "Nathan, you've literally been here almost every night for the past three weeks, then you come crash at my place when I say I'm going to drive you home." He tapped his fingers on the bar, sighing softly. "You like being home. You usually drink at home, and only come out to the bar when you want to meet a girl. But you haven't left with anyone, besides me."

"Looks like I've been leaving with a girl then, haven't I?" Nathan grumbled, rubbing his neck, looking around the crowded bar.

Chase chuckled, gently slapping the side of Nathan's head. "So, what's up?" He asked him, raising his eyebrows.

"Nothing. I just feel social, is that a bad thing?" Nathan asked him, clearing his throat and letting out a deep breath.

Chase looked at him, rolling his eyes. "You spend your time sitting here and talking to me." He laughed, leaning against the bar. He hesitated for a moment, before letting out a deep breath and asking, "How's your girl?"

Nathan clenched his fists, looking at his friend. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"The girl that you met at Clay's wedding." Chase said, watching as Nathan visibly stiffened up, his muscles becoming tense, and his expression turned almost angry. "The one that for a week you were constantly talking to, hardly drinking, and decorating your house for." He added.

Nathan let out a deep breath, rolling his eyes and standing up. "What?" He asked him lamely, tapping his fingers. "The music is too loud."

"Haley, I believe her name was." Chase said, clearing his throat. "Why don't you talk to her anymore?"

"You don't know who I do and don't talk to. Take me home, jackass." Nathan grumbled, pushing his hands through his hair, pushing over the glass of water that Chase had given him, heading towards the exit.

Chase let out a deep breath, removing the towel from his shoulder to quickly dry it up, turning to another bartender and telling him that he would be right back, before following after Nathan.

xxxx

Haley hummed softly as she painted her toenails, glancing up from her seat on the floor at Brooke as she walked into the room, carrying an armful of various products.

Brooke fell down onto the couch behind her, letting out a deep breath. "I am so ready for this." She said, shaking her head. "You're right, this kind of girls night is so much better than partying."

Haley laughed, glancing over her shoulder at her. "I told you." She said, smiling slightly. "It's way better to relax at home."

"I don't know why I've ever questioned you, Haley James. Everything you say is genius." Brooke said, smiling at her. "I haven't seen you in like three weeks, Hales. You didn't even send me any pictures of what your New Years Party looked like."

"Brooke, I was at my parents house from Christmas Eve until New Years. Do you think I did anything fun?" Haley laughed, shaking her head.

"Oh, right. I saw the ugly holiday sweater party pictures that your brother posted on his Instagram. Real rager over at the James household. I should have come." Brooke groaned, sighing softly. "You invited me. Then we both wouldn't have been alone on New Years Eve."

"Hey, I had plenty of non-alcoholic drinks and my nieces and nephews keeping me company." Haley said, shrugging slightly. "But I did invite you. You should've come."

"The party I went to was so boring, Haley. I used to love going to parties. Now your boring family Christmas party and your midnight kiss being a million goodnight kisses from your millions of nieces and nephews at like nine o'clock sounds much more appealing to me. I'm twenty-three, I have it all, but I still want the quiet hometown life." Brooke complained, moving to sit next to Haley, sighing softly and glancing over at her. "I don't need a boyfriend, but I want one."

"You're Brooke Davis." Haley laughed, "And I don't mean that as the Clothes Over Bro's Brooke Davis. I mean that as literally the most adorable, funniest, sweetest, most courageous person I know. Trust me, Brooke. You can find a boyfriend easily." She hummed, tapping her friends back.

"I'm so lucky to have a friend like you." Brooke said, smiling at her, glancing over when Haley's phone vibrated, reaching over and picking it up quickly before Haley had the chance to grab it. "Let's see what lover boy-" She cut herself off, looking at Haley and raising her eyebrows. "No, Haley... You're not. No." She groaned, setting the phone down. "You're not texting Chris. Tell me you know a different Chris Keller."

Haley sighed softly, picking up the phone and scanning the message. "Brooke..." She sighed, "I'm not texting him. He was just asking me some questions. Discussing when he can come pick up his stuff."

"And then he's going to charm your pants off and walk right back into your life, Haley. He just tells you what you want to hear." Brooke said, shaking her head and sighing.

"Brooke, the conversation is only a few texts long, and I wait hours before I respond." Haley said, shaking her head.

Brooke took her phone again, opening it up and scrolling to the top of the conversation. "His first text says he misses you. Haley!"

"I didn't answer!"

"But you answered the next one!"

"It doesn't matter, Brooke." Haley said, shaking her head and standing up after making sure her toenails were dry, sitting on the couch.

"Don't talk to Chris! What happened to Nathan? We liked Nathan!" Brooke groaned, sitting next to her and frowning, scrolling through her messages. "Look at that. The last time you texted him was on New Years and all it says is Happy New Years. What the hell happened? Why aren't you talking to him anymore?"

Haley sighed, looking down at her hands and shaking her head. "I don't know, Brooke... He stopped talking to me." She said, shrugging.

"What? When?" Brooke responded, looking at her sad friend with surprised eyes.

"He came and spent the day with me, you know? And he spent the night here and I woke up the next morning and he was gone. I haven't heard from him since." Haley said, pushing her hand through her hair. "I don't know, it was kind of weird."

Brooke blinked, "Did you sleep with him? Because if he slept with you and ditched you I'll find him and I'll kick his ass." She said, shaking her head.

"No." Haley responded, shrugging. "Like I said, it was weird. Everything was going fairly well. We were having a good time, and then he was just gone without a trace."

"Well, did Quinn or Clay say anything about him?" Brooke asked, sighing. "Maybe he had an emergency and his phone exploded so he had no way to contact you."

"He called Clay several times, and Clay called him even more than that." Haley said, biting her lip. "It's fine. I just feel so stupid, because everyone warned me. Clay told me not to get close to him, Quinn told me he was a jerk..."

"And you really liked him anyways." Brooke said, wrapping her arm around Haley's shoulders. "I'm so sorry, buddy."

"I liked him a lot." Haley sighed, closing her eyes and letting out a deep breath. "And I just can't help but feel like maybe he's not a jerk. Even with this, I feel like there's something going on and he just doesn't like to get close to people."

Brooke frowned at her, "Haley, drop him. I'm serious." She said, shrugging. "Maybe you're right, maybe he's a great guy. But right now... He's not. And you don't deserve a guy that's going to drop you after a week and not talk to you again. It's been three weeks. Forget his ass."

"I know, I know. And I haven't texted him since New Years, but I just feel like he's not okay. Well... I know that he's not okay." She sighed, leaning back against the couch.

Brooke shook her head, "Haley, I love you. And I'm so sorry this happened. You deserve a guy that's going to give you his full attention. Not a guy who is just trying to mess around. A man, not a boy." She said simply. "I trust your judgment entirely, but I think that you should forget him."

Haley tapped her fingers on her legs, biting her lip. "Brooke..." She sighed, sucking in a deep breath. "You remember when I visited Stanford? When we were in highschool?"

"How could I forget? The worst week of my life." Brooke said dramatically, smiling at her.

"You remember how I met that boy?" Haley asked her, sighing softly.

"You mean your make believe boy? The one you made up so I wouldn't think you stayed in your room and studied the whole time?" Brooke joked, nudging her slightly.

Haley rolled her eyes, laughing. "That's the one." She said, looking down. "And he wasn't make believe."

"Why are you bringing him up? You didn't even make up a damn name for him." Brooke questioned her, raising her eyebrows.

"He has a name now." Haley said, letting out a deep breath. "It's Nathan."

"Wait a second..." Brooke trailed off, glancing down at Haley's phone in her hands, pushing the home button and finding the photos app, searching until she found the picture that Nathan had made her take of the two of them. "This Nathan?"

Haley narrowed in on the picture, a small smile forming on her face. He looked so happy, he really did. She looked happy, and it made her heart hurt a little bit because she'd almost always felt happy when she was around him, or talking to him. Even a simple text from him had made her happy. For one week, it was like she had constant butterflies. Then it was gone. He was gone.

"Yeah." Haley said sadly, shaking her head. "It was so unexpected... But I thought he liked me, Brooke. He made it seem like he wanted to spend time with me. I know it was only a week, but..."

"Haley, it doesn't matter." Brooke said, sighing softly. "It doesn't matter that it was only a week. You don't deserve to be thrown to the side like this, ever."

"It just makes me mad because I feel like I at least deserve and explanation. I mean... Am I crazy for thinking that?" Haley asked, sighing softly. "I don't know. It's dumb. I just really liked him, you know?" She felt her heart constrict a little bit, shifting her gaze into her lap. Most of all, she was worried about him. The morning that he'd disappeared definitely did not reassure her that he was alright.

"I know." Brooke said, rubbing her arm lightly, frowning. "I'm sorry, Haley. But please, do not start talking to Chris Keller again."

"Brooke, trust me. There's no way I'll ever be going down that road again." She laughed, shaking her head. "Honestly, I just want to eat junk food, put on a face mask, and watch chick flicks all night."

"You had me at forgetting about Chris." Brooke laughed, standing up. "I'll go pop some popcorn. I like anything that's going to make me cry tears of joy."

Haley laughed, watching Brooke rush into her kitchen, letting out a deep breath, leaning forward and picking up the remote.

A few hours later, Haley lifted her head up from the arm rest of the couch, letting out a deep breath. She must have fallen asleep while watching the movie. She sat up straighter, searching the dark room for her phone, looking down when she found it. It was three in the morning. She looked over, standing up slowly, looking around.

She frowned slightly, letting out a deep breath. Where the hell was Brooke? Why did this keep happening to her? Her gaze landed on a note taped to the front door, walking over and removing it, noting that it was Brooke's fancy handwriting.

'Hales- Love you! I had to take off and didn't want to wake you since you're so cute while you sleep. I'll call you later! Love, Brooke'

She sighed softly, raising her eyebrows and shaking her head. Weird, but Brooke always did weird things. She shook her head, deciding the leave the mess until morning and heading into her room.

xxxx

Nathan snapped his head up at the loud knocking on his door, rolling his eyes and shaking his head. Why would anyone show up at his house this early in the morning? Must be a mistake.

But the knocking didn't stop. It wouldn't stop. Pretty soon the knocking turned into the doorbell ringing, and then into both at the same time. No matter how many pillows he put over his head, it wouldn't quit.

He let out a defeated sigh, standing up and rubbing his head, trying to push aside the pounding headache. His gaze shifted to the bottles on his night stand. He didn't even remember going to bed. He remembered leaving with Chase, and then the rest was a blur. He pulled on a t-shirt, rubbing his neck and shaking his head. This better be important. It better not be Lucas standing at his door because he forgot his key.

The thought of seeing his brother just fueled his anger for some reason. Really, any name that popped into his mind made him angry. Except one.

He shook his thoughts away, letting out a deep breath. Forget it. He wasn't going to think about her anymore. He was just going to chew the hell out of whoever was at his damn door so early.

Nathan stepped out of his room, clenching his hands into fists and descending the stairs slowly, staring at the front door and rolling his eyes as it continued.

He walked forward, pulling open the door, ignoring the gust of wind that pushed some of the unshoveled snow on the front steps into his house, shivering lightly and narrowing his eyes on the girl standing in his doorway. He had no idea who she even was. She looked a little familiar, maybe. But not a single name popped into his brain that would match her face.

She was beautiful, that's for sure. Dark hair, fairly short. But she had a look of fire in her eyes that almost made him want to hide behind the door. Piercing his soul. Who was she?

"Nathan Scott, right?" She asked, raising her eyebrows at him.

"Sure." Nathan muttered in response, taking a small step back, pushing the snow outside with his foot, immediately regretting it when he felt the chill of it against his skin.

Her eyes moved over him. Enough to make him shift uncomfortably. Who was she? Normally he wouldn't mind if a gorgeous woman like her was at his door, staring him up and down. But she didn't appear to be checking him out, or looking for a one night stand. She was... Examining him?

He watched her roll her eyes, before they finally met his.

She was silent, watching him shiver for probably another thirty seconds, before she finally spoke, introducing herself.

"Brooke Davis."


	8. Chapter 8

**I like the way this chapter turned out! Thank you for reading and reviewing!**

 **Chapter 8**

Nathan wanted more than anything to pretend he didn't know the girl in front of him. He wanted to act as if he had no clue why she was standing on his doorstep. But he suspected his face flashed with a guilty look, and his body gave up on him, and stepped away from the open door, silently inviting her in and closing the door behind her.

He watched her walk around his living room, walk up to the still set up Christmas tree, and look over at him.

"When are you planning on taking this down?" She asked him curiously, raising her eyebrows.

He shrugged slightly, shoving his hands into the pockets of his sweats, kicking his foot at the ground, following her slowly.

"Uh huh." Brooke examined, noting the beer bottle stacked up near the wall, looking similar to a set of bowling pins, as well as a few more standing up on the coffee table. "These part of your decorations?"

"It's festive." He said lamely, clearing his throat and taking a seat in the chair next to his couch, letting out a deep breath.

"Hm." Brooke tapped her chin, stepping up to the wall of pictures. "Clay." She hummed, "Quinn." She pointed them out in the photos, before landing on the only picture with him in it. "Pre back injury, I'm assuming?"

Nathan stiffened, glaring at her and rolling his eyes. "None of your business." He said, his jaw clenched.

"I think you messed with the wrong girl, Mr. Scott. There's nothing funny about hurting a girl's feelings, and Haley is pretty tough." Brooke said, turning to look at him. "But, she's also nice, and doesn't want to bother you. So that's why I'm here. Because I'm not nice."

He looked up at her, the guilty feeling returning once again at the mention of Haley's name. He shifted slightly. Haley had mentioned something to him about Brooke pushing her to try new things. He could definitely tell the girl in front of him was pushy.

"You look pretty nice to me." He said quietly, clearing his throat, looking up at her.

"Do I?" She asked him, crossing her arms. "I can see the guilt in your eyes, okay? So I know that you feel it. Why do you have to be such a jerk?"

All he could offer her was a simple shoulder shrug. It was impossible to explain to someone that wouldn't understand. But that was like putting gasoline on a fire. He could almost see Brooke run into the kitchen to find a weapon to attack him with, but instead, she sat down.

Brooke pulled out her phone, holding it out to him.

It was a picture. Of him. He was wearing his Duke uniform, palming a basketball and holding it out in front of him, a serious look on his face.

"I've been doing some research on you, Nathan Scott." Brooke hummed, "You have a Wikipedia page. Did you know that?"

Nathan shifted slightly, shrugging again and staring down at the picture. "Didn't care." He said, clearing his throat.

"Nathan Scott. Six foot two, previous point guard for the Duke Blue Devils." Brooke recited, taking her phone out of his hands, scrolling to the next picture. It was a picture of him in high school, dunking a basketball, she then scrolled to the next one, a picture of him and Lucas. "Younger brother of Lucas Scott. What a hottie your brother is, let me tell you, if I wasn't here to beat your ass, I would definitely be here to get his phone number." She said, smirking at him. "Lucas is an author, and you're a washed up basketball player. Nice work, Nate."

He winced at her words. No one had ever said anything like that to him before. Everyone sugarcoated it. Called him injured. But he wasn't injured, not anymore. He was washed up.

"This is a picture of you after you scored the winning basket in the Final Four. I watched it on YouTube. Last second, buzzer beater. But you didn't break a sweat, you sank the shot easily." Brooke informed him, crossing her legs. "Next game, you were injured. Duke lost. You lost. It was your senior year, there was no going back. So tell me... What happened?"

No one had asked him that either. If they didn't already know the whole story, odds are they figured that they would never find out.

"You probably read it on your damn research spree." Nathan bit back at her, narrowing his eyes down on her.

"You got into a bar fight." Brooke said, nodding at him. "Thrown through a window, shattered your spine. Lost feeling of your legs. I read the statement released. But you were on top of your game. What were you doing at a bar the night before the championship? Surely someone who has played organized basketball as long as you would know not to play on a hangover."

"Bridget, was it?" Nathan asked, a small smirk on his face, standing up slowly, looking down at Brooke's annoyed expression. "You've got me pegged. I'm a dick. A real jerk."

Brooke stood up, crossing her arms and looking at him. "Then why does Haley seem to think otherwise, Nathan?" She asked him, shaking her head. "She still thinks that you're a good guy, after you haven't been talking to her for almost a month."

"I'm not." He said, shaking his head, pushing his hand through his hair.

"I know." Brooke said, poking his chest, letting out a deep breath. "But if you would pull your head out of your ass, maybe you could be."

"I can promise you one thing, I'm not worth it." He said, shaking his head and looking down at the feisty brunette, and for a moment... He saw the look in her eye. The look everyone gave him. The look that he hated. Sympathy.

"Haley is a good person. She sees the good in people before they see it in themselves." Brooke said simply, letting out a deep breath. "And, you cutting her off is pushing her back towards her ex-boyfriend. And I hate her ex-boyfriend."

Nathan felt several different emotions at once. Jealousy was the most overpowering. He never got jealous, not really. He never had a reason to be jealous. And technically, he still didn't. All of Haley's hours would be occupied talking to him, and not some stupid asshole. Well- not some different stupid asshole.

He let out a deep sigh, brushing his fingers through his hair, looking at her. "I don't think there's anything I can do to help you." He said quietly, shrugging his shoulders.

Brooke shook her head, letting out a deep breath. "Well, then I guess she was wrong." She said simply, "And I guess this was a giant waste of my time."

"I guess so." Nathan said simply, pushing his fingers through his hair, looking towards the door. "Can I call a car for you?" He asked, letting out a deep breath.

Brooke studied him for a second, tilting her head too the side, before finally speaking. "No, that's okay. I rented a car." She said, shrugging slightly.

"Alright, well can I get you something for the road? I don't have much, but your can have anything you find." He said, crossing his arms, stepping over to the front door.

"Nope." Brooke said, following him, stopping in front of him. "That's it? You're really just going to act like this?" She asked him quietly.

He looked down at her, letting out a deep breath, grabbing the door handle. "I guess it's not an act." He said, pulling open the door. "Good luck with your life." He said simply, watching her step outside, turn around and look up at him once more.

Brooke let out a deep breath, "Yeah, whatever. I guess you're the douche bag everyone said that you were." She said, shaking her head, turning away and heading down the steps, beginning to walk across his lawn to where her car was parked in the street.

Nathan closed the door behind her, leaning against it and letting out a deep breath. He shook hi head, willing himself to remain against the door, begging himself to. But almost as if someone else was moving his body for him, he whipped open the front door, and ran outside, the snow burning against his bare feet as he ran up to her car, pulling open the passenger door and looking down at her.

"Wait." He said quickly, letting out a deep breath, feeling himself feel a little panicked. "Can you..." He tapped his fingers on the roof of the car, letting out a frustrated groan at himself. His brain had been shouting at him to stop this. He felt exhausted from the internal argument he'd been having the moment he walked out of Haley's apartment door. His chest constricted as he met Brooke's gaze, collapsing forward into her seat, almost letting out a breath if relief. He felt his tense muscles begin to relax. "Can you come back inside?" He asked her.

Brooke looked at him, starting her car, and shifting it into drive, looking around before beginning to drive.

Nathan frowned slightly, raising his eyebrows, until he realized what she was doing. She'd turned her car around and drove it into his driveway. He offered her a small smile, getting out and rushing inside, leaving the door open behind himself.

They sat there for nearly ten minutes, silently. Brooke could nearly see the gears turning in his head, trying to figure out what to say, and how to say it.

Nathan finally let out a deep breath, "I like her." He said quietly, kicking his foot at the ground.

"That's it? That's all you have to say?" Brooke asked, shaking her head. "Nathan, it's nearly six o'clock in the morning, and I haven't slept in twenty-four hours, and that's all you have to say. What, is it because she wanted to be friends?"

"No, no!" He protested, running a frustrated hand through his hair. "I didn't care. I don't care. As long as she wanted to be friends, that's what I wanted."

Brooke nodded her head slowly, looking over and noting the way his knee was bouncing, and his hands were shaking slightly.

"She thinks so rationally. And I... Don't." He said, letting out a deep breath. "Look around you, Brooke."

Brooke did as she was asked, before her eyes landed on him once again, raising her eyebrows expectantly.

"I sit here, and I drink. All day long, that's what I do. I have one night stands, only. I don't get attached. I don't care, I don't set up Christmas decorations." Nathan said, letting out a deep breath. "I don't even know the date, most times. Until now. It's January 10th, and I stopped talking to Haley on December 16th." He said, squeezing his eyes shut. "I'm nothing, and she's everything."

Brooke looked at him, slowly moving to sit next to him on the couch. "Haley wouldn't be so upset right now if she felt that way."

Nathan looked at her, "I hurt her. I was bound to hurt her. Everyone knew it, deep down I knew it, and deep down... She knew it too." He said simply, sighing softly. "I..." He cleared his throat, shaking his head. "She wouldn't forgive me anyways."

"You'd be surprised how forgiving Haley James can be." Brooke said, nodding at him. "She's one of a kind, and I really mean that. You're a jerk, and frankly, I don't think I like you very much. I think she deserves someone that isn't going to flake out at the first sign of vulnerability. But for some reason... I'm rooting for you." Brooke said, standing up slowly, shrugging. "The way I see it, you have two options. Pull your head out of your ass, and go apologize, or you can send her a text right now that says you're not interested, and leave it at that, and never talk to her again. Because if she hasn't heard from you in the next three days, I'm coming back here and typing out the message myself."

"She's not going to want me." He said quietly, pushing his hands through his hair repeatedly, tugging on the ends.

Brooke sighed softly, resting her hand on his shoulder for the briefest moment, "She doesn't just forget about people once they hurt her, Nathan. I promise you, that she's the type of person that will do anything, for anyone. Especially the boy she crushed out on when she was sixteen, and most likely never stopped having just a small little crush on."

Nathan raised his eyebrows, rubbing his neck slowly. He didn't know that Brooke knew about the two of them. He shouldn't be surprised, but he also felt very disappointed in himself. Not that he wanted to be sixteen again, but he wanted to feel the confidence that he felt instead of mentally talking himself into each thing he said. In some ways, he felt that it was easier with Haley, but it was also harder. Part of him wanted to open up to her. But his natural instinct was to push everyone away.

"So, I'll be back here. Maybe." Brooke hummed, "Regardless, we'll be seeing each other again. Let's just hope it's more friendly next time, yeah?"

Nathan offered her a small nod, stepping to the front door once again. "I won't chase down your car this time." He said slowly, shrugging, pulling open the door.

"Good." Brooke laughed, resting her hand on his arm. "Make the right decision, Nathan." She said to him, stepping outside, glancing over her shoulder and heading out to her car.

Nathan watched to make sure that her car started, and all was well before she drove away. He closed the door slowly, walking back into the living room and falling down on the couch, setting his phone on the coffee table, staring at it and letting out a deep breath.

xxxx

Haley sighed from her seat inside her classroom, looking over at her clock and shaking her head. It was nearly four o'clock, and she was listening to Quinn talk about "the cutest thing that Clay did for her this morning" and she honestly was not listening to a word as she marked up the paper she was grading in red pen.

"Haley. Haley, Haley!" Quinn said into the phone, springing her out of her zone.

"What? Sorry, I'm working." Haley laughed, letting out a deep breath.

"I asked you how your day was." Quinn said, chuckling quietly into the phone.

"It was okay. I kind of have a headache." Haley responded, pushing her hand through her hair, shifting her phone against her ear.

"Classes going well?" Quinn asked her curiously.

"As cooperative as they can be. All of them still just wish it was winter break." Haley hummed, setting her pen down, leaning back in her chair.

"What, and you don't?" Quinn laughed, shaking her head.

"I like my job, Quinny." Haley responded, rubbing her neck. "How's married life treating you?"

"Well, since I know you weren't listening before, I'll just let you know that it's amazing. Forget Chris Keller, find a guy similar to Clay. He's just so nice to me, Haley." Quinn said, smiling brightly.

Haley smiled for her sister. "I'm so glad, because you deserve it." She said softly, looking over at the time again, biting her lip and tapping her fingers on her desk.

"So, how about-" Quinn stopped talking, and she heard Clay's voice going in the background, sounding rather urgent and panicked, but Haley couldn't quite make out what he was saying.

"Well, did you try calling him?" Quinn asked Clay.

Haley heard Clay respond, frowning slightly, sitting up a bit.

"I'm sure he's not wandering the streets, drunk, Clay. You're over reacting. He's twenty-three." Quinn responded, sighing softly.

Haley swallowed, shaking her head. She had a pretty good idea of who they were talking about now.

"Maybe he went to someone else's house. Did you call Chase?" Quinn asked, letting out another sigh when Clay responded. "Well maybe he's at a girl's house."

Haley felt her heart drop a little bit, biting down on her bottom lip.

"Why the hell wouldn't he go to a girl's house?" Quinn asked her husband. "Okay, okay. That makes sense, I guess."

Haley heard Clay's voice become more urgent, and then Quinn react to it.

"Okay, baby. I'm sure he's fine but we better go start looking around to check." Quinn said in an attempt to reassure her frazzled husband.

"I have to go, Hales." Quinn said quickly.

"Is everything okay?" Haley asked softly, letting out a deep breath.

"I don't know. Nathan's missing. He's not at his house, not at Chase's house, not at the bar Chase manages. I'll let you know." Quinn said quietly, before hanging up the phone.

Haley bit her lip, brushing her fingers through her hair. She wasn't completely happy with him, right now, but she didn't want anything bad to happen to him.

She continued to work for another half-hour, but she found it increasingly difficult to focus on anyone but the man that had occupied her thoughts quite a bit over the last few weeks. She was honestly worried about him. Because anything could've happened to him in New York City. Anything. He could've run his mouth to someone and been killed for all she knew, and there was no word from Quinn, which scared her even more.

Haley let out a deep breath as she parked her car in her apartment complex, getting out slowly, checking her phone once more. She shook her head, pushing her hand through her hair, closing her eyes. She'd looked at her message less phone quite a bit since Nathan left her house, and she was usually disappointed when there was nothing from him. But right now, she felt sick to her stomach. She wanted information desperately.

She shook her head, beginning to walk up the stairs rather than taking the elevator in an attempt to ease her mind, letting the slightly chilled January air surround her.

Haley looked through her purse as she approached her apartment, digging around until she found her keys. When she looked up again, she stopped in her tracks, being met with the familiar blue eyes she'd spent so much time thinking about.

They both just stared at each other for a second, before speaking at the same time.

"Haley."

"Nathan."


	9. Chapter 9

**Okay, thank you so much for the feedback. It really makes my day.**

 **We'll see about this chapter, because I actually had it completely finished and went to copy it and I accidentally deleted it.**

 **So there's that.**

 **Anyways, thank you so much for reading!**

 **Chapter 9**

Nathan wasn't entirely sure how Haley would react to seeing him or hearing from him for the first time in weeks. But it certainly wasn't the violent way that she did.

She started smacking the hell out of his shoulder and arm, pushing him up against the building, an annoyed look in her eyes.

"You big jerk! I can't believe you, Nathan Scott." Haley snapped to him, whacking his arm harder. "What the hell is a matter with you? You can't just keep disappearing and not tell people where you're going!" She shouted to him.

He was sure if anyone was outside, they would be staring at him. The people in the apartments next to hers were probably standing at the window, trying to see who had calm Haley James throwing a riot.

But he made no move to stop her, just allowed her to hit him. And after one hard smack with her purse, she glared up at him, shoved the key in her lock, pushed the door open and walked inside.

He blinked, poking his head through the opened door, looking at her. She had moved to stand behind her kitchen counter top, just in front of the sink, her hands rested on either side of it, shaking her head.

"Well, are you going to come in or let the cold air inside?" She snapped to him, narrowing her eyes on him.

She didn't know how angry she felt towards him until he'd appeared on her doorstep. She tried to tell herself that there was a logical explanation for his disappearance, but here he was, looking fine. Maybe a little scruffy, he looked like he had not shaved in a few days, but besides that, he looked fine. She was especially upset now because she'd been worried about him. After she'd overheard Clay freaking out about his disappearance, it had put her stress levels to an all time high.

Nathan cleared his throat, stepping inside slowly, pushing his hand through his hair, stepping up to the opposite side of the countertop. "Haley..." He trailed off, his eyes gazing over her. Her posture definitely wasn't the friendly one that it usually was when he was around. She looked defensive, and very upset.

"What, Nathan?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows and crossing her arms. "There are people that worry about you! You can't just up and leave whenever you feel like it. It was one thing for you to do it to me, but doing it to Clay is totally a jackass thing to do. He's your best friend, and he worries about you. I was on the phone with Quinn and he comes in and starts freaking out. They're probably looking everywhere for you." She said, shaking her head. "Call him. Right now." She said, pointing her finger at him.

Nathan sighed, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, Haley. I'm a jerk, and I know that. I forget sometimes that you don't know that." He said, pushing his hand through his hair.

Haley shook her head at him in response, pulling out her own phone and loudly tapping on the screen, holding it up to her ear.

"Haley, I really can't talk right now." Quinn's voice said, followed by a sigh.

"He's here. At my apartment." Haley responded, looking over at Nathan. "I got home, and he was just sitting in front of my door."

"Are you serious?" Quinn asked her.

"Yeah." Haley responded, looking down at the counter, letting out a deep breath.

"Haley... Did something happen that you're not telling me about?" Quinn questioned her, sighing.

"Nope." Haley said, looking up at Nathan once again. "Is Clay around?"

"Yeah, just a second. I'm looking for him. We're in this bar that Nathan likes to go to when he doesn't want Chase to see him, but it's kind of packed." Quinn laughed in response. "Is he okay?"

"I don't know." Haley said softly, pushing her hand through her hair.

"Oh! There he is." Quinn cheered, her voice being replaced by Clay's.

"Haley?" Clay asked her. "Is he alright? Why is he at your house?"

"I don't know, Clay. Do you want to talk to him?" Haley responded, shaking her head.

"Please." Clay said, letting out a deep breath.

Nathan took the phone from Haley's extended hand, holding it to his ear and glancing towards the door, stepping outside of it when Haley nodded in dismissal.

"Hey." Nathan sighed, leaning against her door, pushing his fingers through his hair.

"What the hell, Nathan? You could've at least told me you were leaving! I came back to your house, saw some pills all over the place, and your dresser and closet had almost no clothes in it." Clay snapped into the phone.

"I fell asleep awkwardly on the couch and my back was aching a little bit, so I was going to take some pills and they spilled all over my living room." Nathan said simply, looking out across the parking lot.

"Why didn't you clean them up?" Clay asked him, sighing softly. "And why didn't you tell me you were leaving, buddy?"

"Clay..." Nathan began, closing his eyes for a second. "I appreciate you, okay? And I know I haven't been acting like an adult for the past two years, but I'm twenty-three. I made a mistake and I need to fix it instead of running away from it. When I get back, I'll fix this mistake and take you out to drinks or something, but right now... I messed with Haley, okay? You were right. But I'm trying to fix it."

Clay let out another deep sigh, and Nathan could tell he was weighing his options. He was either going to yell at him, or just let him go.

"Okay." Clay finally said, "But please, be careful. Drink a lot of water, do your exercises, take your meds. And be careful with her. Because Quinn is going to kill you when you get back if she hears bad news. She looks like she might kill me right now." He responded, chuckling quietly.

"Good luck, man. Give her some of that Evans charm that you use to sweep women off their feet." Nathan said, a small smile on his face. "I'll call you later, man. And yes, before you ask... I'll text you hourly updates. When I wake up, go to bed, eat lunch. Whatever. Thank you, Clay. I'll talk to you."

"Bye, Nathan. Remember, be careful." Clay said, letting out a deep breath.

Nathan hung up the phone, turning to look at the door, nodding his head slowly, and stepping back inside. "Here." He said, setting Haley's phone on the counter and offering her a small smile. "I'm sorry, Haley."

Haley looked at him, sighing softly. "Nathan, for some reason, I believe that you're better than this! Everyone kept telling me not to get involved with you, because as soon as you get what you want, you disappear. And unless you desperately want to invited to stay over and sleep on the couch, then you didn't even get what everyone seems to think that you're after." She said, shaking her head. "Maybe after a week you decided I wasn't worth the chase or something, I don't know. But I don't understand why the hell you're here right now."

He shook his head, looking at her. "I brought you a Christmas present." He offered her, pulling an envelope out of his pocket, letting out a deep breath.

"What?" She asked him, looking down at his hand. She took it from him slowly, pulling open it open and glancing up at him. There were a few pieces of paper inside, and nothing else.

"Go from front to back, please." He said, nodding at her, pushing his hand through his hair, leaning against the countertop, looking down as her hand dipped underneath the wrinkled, white paper and pulled out the first object.

She looked down at it and examined it carefully. It was a picture of Nathan, an old man that she didn't know, and Lucas, wearing black uniforms. Nathan was holding what she assumed to be a championship trophy. She looked up at him, nodding slowly, waiting for him to explain.

"That's my basketball coach." He said, clearing his throat and letting out a deep breath, rubbing his neck. "Coach Brian Durham. Most people called him Whitey." He said, looking down at the picture. "He treated me like shit, and I treated him like shit. But he was really one of the only people that pushed me to be great. Pushed me to be my best. He always knew what to say, and when to say it." He said, shrugging slightly. "He's the greatest, but I'd never tell him that to his face." He chuckled quietly, looking down at the counter.

Haley smiled slightly, looking up at him and nodding slowly. It wasn't much, but it was very symbolic to her. This was him, opening up just a little more. Allowing her to look deeper into his life, though she could tell he was forcing himself to speak.

She pulled out the next item. It was a cutout news paper article. A picture of Nathan holding up a Duke t-shirt, wearing a blue hat with a white 'D' on it. At his sides were a blonde woman, and a dark haired man that he looked fairly similar to, whom she assumed to be his father, as well as Lucas' father. The caption read 'Nathan Scott chooses Duke University.'

"In case there's any confusion, that's me when I decided to go to Duke." He said, smiling slightly. "Just a kid with dreams." He chuckled, rolling his eyes at himself.

She looked up at him. She could tell that his attempt at a joke was just his way of trying to make the memory less painful. But she could see the pain in his eyes. He was being open. A lot of times when she said something that struck a chord with him, his eyes would just cloud over and he would go emotionless. But not right now. She could see the hurt.

"You look cute." She informed him, nodding at him. She felt her heart ache for him. He was smiling, but she could tell it was forced.

Haley set that down next to the photo, pulling out another newspaper article. She felt her heart drop into her stomach. Nathan wasn't in this picture. It was a bunch of guys, dressed in blue and white jerseys, none of them looking even the slightest bit happy. The caption read: 'Duke falls to Wisconsin, 89-110.'

Haley's eyes shot up to his face, biting down on her bottom lip lightly. He wasn't looking at her, and she hadn't expected him to be. He was staring at the paper in her hands.

He let out a deep breath, shaking his head. "We would've won that game. We should've won that game. But how can anyone focus when one of their teammates was put into a wheelchair the night before?" He asked quietly, slowly smoothing his hand over the surface of the granite countertop.

Haley felt like she'd been hit with a ton of bricks as she watched him. She was not expecting this to happen to her today. She wasn't expecting him to show up at her door, and get so personal with her. She almost wanted to stop him, just so he didn't have to talk about it. But she wasn't going to.

Nathan closed his eyes for a brief second, before his gaze finally met hers. He looked haunted. She just wanted to collect him up in her arms and whisper to him that everything was going to be alright.

"Or rather, when your teammate put himself in a wheelchair." He said, clearing his throat. He gripped the back of the chair in front of him, letting out a deep breath. "I don't know how much of this you know, Haley." He said, shrugging slightly. His gaze left hers once again, his eyes focusing on the cabinets behind her. "I just kept drinking, you know? Lucas had gone to get the car, and I was arguing with some guy about basketball, and about who was going to win the game the following night. I don't even remember what he said to me, but it set me off. I stood up from my seat, and just punched him." He said, letting out another deep breath. "He fell backwards, and for a moment, he was stunned. Clay grabbed me, and tried to calm me down." He said, digging his hands into the chair, his knuckles turning white. "And I punched him too, knocked him clean out in one hit. The next thing I knew, there were two guys on me, and I was thrown out of the place, through the glass window in the front of the building." He said, squeezing his eyes shut. "And that was it for me. I was supposed to be a lottery pick. First round of the draft, going to the Celtics."

He met her eyes once again, blinking slowly. He didn't recognize the look in her eyes. It wasn't the pity or the sympathy that he was expecting. He didn't know what it was.

Haley sensed that there was more to the story, but she knew better than to ask. She couldn't stop herself from sidestepping the bar, walking to him and pulling him into a hug.

He looked down at her, raising his eyebrows. He carefully wrapped his arm around her shoulders, closing his eyes and letting out a deep breath. "You don't need to do this, Haley."

"Shut up, Nathan." She laughed, resting her head against his shoulder, gripping his jacket tightly in her hands. She closed her eyes, breathing in his scent. She'd missed him. After knowing him for a week, she'd spent several weeks longing for him. She just wanted to hug him so tightly until all of his broken pieces fit back together. She wanted to cry for him.

"Haley..." He laughed, giving her a light squeeze. "There's still one more thing left in the envelope." He said, nodding down at her.

Haley let out a deep breath, reaching her hand back in the envelope, pulling out a torn piece of paper, a math equation printed on it. Next to the the black ink was faded, messy handwriting with the word written out 'Met the most amazing girl today' followed by the date they met. She raised her eyebrows, looking up at him.

"This is embarrassing." He said, looking away, letting out a deep breath. "Horribly embarrassing."

She smiled at him, biting her lip and shaking her head. "What exactly is this?"

"You're going to make me say it, aren't you?" He asked her, letting out a deep sigh. "Okay, fine. I wrote this down after I dropped you off at your hotel room. That's the math homework that you helped me with. Mr. Gibson wasn't too happy about it, but he never really was when I turned in my homework."

She threw her arms around his neck again, closing her eyes and letting out a deep breath, biting her lip. "You make it so hard to be mad at you." She whispered, holding him closer to her.

He chuckled, encircling his arms around her waist. "It's embarrassing. I don't know why I did it. I just... Felt like I should. I guess it paid off. Maybe I should've saved it for a time that I screwed up bigger than this."

She looked up at him, letting out a deep breath, stepping back after another minute. "I think you're amazing, Nathan." She said, pushing her hand through his hair. "And I'm angry at you. And I want to forgive you."

"But..." He trailed off, nodding slowly.

"But I need you to prove to me that you're not going to stick around for another week then disappear again." She said simply, nodding. "Okay? Does that sound fair?"

He nodded quickly. "Yes. Thank you so much, Haley. Yes." He said, smiling at her. "I owe you a huge apology. I'm so sorry." He said, pushing his hand through his hair. "Look... I have an anger problem, and I drink too much. I hook up with girls and don't even make empty promises of calling them tomorrow. I'm not a great guy, Haley, by any means. I really suck, actually. But when I'm with you... I just want to be better. For you. With you." He began, nodding at her. "And god, Haley... Even being here is hard for me to do. There's nothing more difficult for me to do than be vulnerable, okay? That's... That's why I left. And that's why it's so hard for me to be standing in front of you. I left because I know how I am. I woke up and I saw you sleeping against your damn coffee table, and I knew what happened. And I just... I didn't want you to see me in my weak moments. I didn't want you to see me when I'm throwing bottles at the wall, yelling in frustration. I want you to think that I'm strong, and brave, not weak and vulnerable."

Haley rested her hands on his cheeks, nodding her head and smiling slightly. "Nathan, all I want is to get to know you, okay? Every part of you. I understand that it can be difficult to open up, but I want you to know something. I don't think being vulnerable makes you seem weak. I think it makes you seem brave. Hearing about this, how you've come back from this... It makes you seem brave to me. I want to know your flaws, I want to know your strengths. I just want to know you." She assured him, letting out a deep breath. "Understood?"

"Yes." He said, nodding at her quickly. "Absolutely." He sent her a small smile. "You should also know that when we went to your high school gym... That was my first time in a basketball court since I got injured." He said, letting out a deep breath.

She rested her hand on his shoulder, smiling slightly. "Well, I'm glad I could experience it with you." She said softly. "I'm glad you're here, Nathan. And I want you to believe that. I don't want you to feel like you're a burden on me by any means. I have a lot of fun when I'm with you."

"I have a lot of fun with you too." He responded, sending her a smile in response.

"How about I make you some dinner, and then I can take you back to your hotel so that you can get some sleep? You look really tired." She said, touching the dark circles under his lines. "Have you been sleeping okay? Are you okay?"

"I am now." He said, smiling at her.

She felt her heart flutter at his response, smiling right back at him. "Great. Well you can go watch TV if you want or something." She said, nodding at him.

"Actually... Do you mind if I help you?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows at her.

"You can try. If you didn't already know, I like to dominate the kitchen. I actually get it from my dad. Both my parents were pretty good cooks, but they couldn't cook together because my dad would freak out." She laughed, shaking her head, beginning to delicately place the items back into the envelope he'd given her, briefly admiring the way her name looked in his handwriting.

Nathan grinned at her, watching her eyes light up as she talked about her parents. He liked that about her. The love she felt for her family was unreal to him.

"You know what, I actually think that I can handle it."

xxxx

Haley stepped up to Nathan's hotel room, watching as he struggled to get the key into the lock and turn it, shaking his head.

"What the hell? I could do this earlier. What the hell kind of hotel still uses keys like this anyways?" He asked her, grumbling and shaking his head.

"I guess this would classify as more of a motel. It's pretty old." She laughed, resting her hand on his, taking the key from him carefully, before sliding it into the lock with ease, turning it an pushing the door open.

"Beautiful and talented." He said, grinning at her. "I let you do that."

"Oh, I bet you did." She said, poking her hand into his stomach, letting out a deep breath. "So... I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, what are your school hours?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows.

"I'm typically there from 7:30 to 4:30." She informed him, smiling slightly. "But I can leave earlier than that." She hummed, letting out a deep breath.

"Can I take you to lunch? I'm assuming you don't have much time, but..." He trailed off, rubbing his neck.

For the millionth time that night, she felt the urge to grab him and kiss him. Hard. She wanted to feel him pressed up against her in an intimate way. More intimate than the long hugs they've shared. But she wasn't going to give in. She couldn't give in until she knew more. Until she knew that he was going to stay. It wouldn't be that difficult, she was sure of it.

"I'd love to meet you for lunch." She said softly, smiling at him. "You can just text me the details. Or if you need help figuring out what to eat, I am sort of from this town."

"Excellent. I'm planning on conquering it tomorrow though, so we'll see who's the master." He chuckled, winking at her. After a moment, he pulled her into a tight hug, one that she quickly returned.

It felt so good to be near each other again. To be in touching distance. To hear the other's voice.

And no matter how much Haley didn't want to fall for him quickly, and how much she told herself she wouldn't. It was inevitable.

They were inevitable.


	10. Chapter 10

You guys, I am so, so sorry. It's been forever, and I'm not entirely happy with this and I'm so sorry.

Chapter 10

"Vivian." Haley said slowly, at her sister whom sat in front of her doorway with her children next to her, clearing her throat and raising her eyebrows. "What are you doing here?"

"You forgot." Her oldest sibling responded, chuckling. "You never forget things, Haley."

Haley shook her head, glancing over her shoulder to where Nathan Scott was slouched over on her couch, flicking through her TV channels, shutting the door a little bit more. It would just be easier if her nosy sister stayed out of it.

Suddenly realization dawned on her.

"I was supposed to watch the kids today." Haley finally said, blowing out a deep breath. "I'm so sorry."

"Are you okay?" Vivian asked her, raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah, yeah. Right, Jared has the job interview here, and you're going to look at houses, and go shopping for the baby, and I was watching the kids. Right." She said, glancing over her shoulder at Nathan once again. "Okay, well... Come in." She said slowly, awkwardly stepping out of the doorway, pulling it open further.

"What's wrong, Haley? You're acting really-" Vivian paused as she stepped inside, a grin forming on her face as she saw Nathan, turning to her youngest sister. "Strange." She finished.

Nathan looked over as Haley stepped back into the apartment, four kids running in behind her. He stood up quickly, raising his eyebrows and sending her a confused look.

"It's Nathan, right?" Vivian winked at Haley, before turning to the raven haired man, stepping over and holding out her hand.

"Right." Nathan said slowly, clearing his throat and shaking her hand. "And you are..."

"Vivian James." Vivian hummed, still holding onto Nathan's hand, jumping when she felt Haley's elbow in her side. "Vivian Hudson." She corrected herself, glancing over at Haley. "Haley's sister. We met at Quinn's wedding, briefly."

Nathan awkwardly pulled his hand away, grinning at her. "Well it's nice to see you again." He hummed out, shoving his hands into his pockets, glancing towards the kids that accompanied them.

"Likewise." Vivian hummed, looking at Nathan. "Is it alright if my kids interrupt whatever plans the two of you had today? Haley promised me that she would watch them, but that was a few weeks ago and she must have a lot on her mind." She said, glancing at Haley and winking again.

"Absolutely. Where are you headed for the day?" Nathan asked her, raising his eyebrows and smiling at Vivian.

He was charming her. Charming the hell out of her. Haley almost wanted to roll her eyes at him because of how interested he was acting in her. He could go from a quiet, sitting in the corner guy to the most charming guy in the room within seconds. It was so weird to watch.

"My husband has a job interview." Vivian responded, nodding her head slowly. "And we're going to look around to see if we find a house we like."

"Thinking about moving back to Tree Hill?" Nathan questioned her, smiling at her.

"Yeah, it's an option. Depends on how this job interview goes, of course. Our kids are getting older and with another one on the way, we think it's about time to find a permanent place." She hummed in response, "And a free babysitter at anytime." She joked, nudging Haley.

"Well, it's a great place. And I didn't even notice you were pregnant, you look great." He said, crossing his arms, glancing at the kids again.

"Oh, I like you." Vivian said, rolling her eyes. "Finally having another girl after three boys." She chuckled, looking at him. "Not that there's anything wrong with boys."

Haley cleared her throat, "Okay, you two. That's enough. Vivian, your husband is waiting. Go before I change my mind." She said, shaking her head.

"Okay, okay. I'm leaving. Call me if you need me. No sugar. Make sure they eat their vegetables. I packed some snacks in Danny's backpack. Please, only give them those snacks." Vivian said, nodding at Haley. She walked over, grabbing each of her children by the head, kissing their foreheads. "Be nice for Aunt Haley and her friend, okay? I'll see you all later." She hummed, waving to Haley and Nathan. "Haley, Nathan. I'll see you later as well. I owe you big time. Thanks, love you all, bye!" She called, rushing out the door.

"She's..." Nathan trailed off, scratching the back of his head.

"Yeah." Haley sighed, looking towards the kids, who were all whispering to each other. She focused her gaze back on Nathan, "You don't need to stick around, I'm sorry about this."

Nathan smiled at her, glancing towards the kids again. Kids generally liked him, but he couldn't remember the last time he actually spent a full day with them, besides basketball camps that he would be forced to help with when he was in highschool. He liked Vivian too. She seemed nice, and besides the kind of frazzled encounter, he figured that she was usually fairly prim and proper. Possibly.

"I don't mind." He finally said, resting his hand on her shoulder. "If that's alright with you?" He said slowly, nodding at her.

Haley smiled, letting out a deep breath. "Sounds great. Thank you." She said, turning back towards Vivian's kids. "Alright, kiddos. This is my friend Nathan." She said, nodding towards them. "Nathan, this Evelyn, Treysin, Danny, and Dax." She said, pointing at each kid. "Danny and Dax are twins. They're five, Trey is eight and Evelyn is ten."

Nathan smiled at them, nodding. "It's nice to meet you guys." He said, holding out his fist to fist bump each of them.

"You're tall." Treysin said, clearing his throat and looking up at him.

"Thanks." Nathan laughed, nodding at him. "I've spent my whole life trying to get taller. Been about six-two since I was seventeen."

"I wish I could be that tall." The eight year old responded, looking over at Haley.

"You forgot about us." Dax piped in, crossing his arms and staring up at Haley.

Haley shook her head, resting her hand on the boy's shoulder. "Hey, I'd never forget you guys. Nathan and I have a fun day planned for you."

"Really, well what are we going to do?" Evelyn asked, crossing her arms as well.

Haley looked at Nathan, before looking at the clock in the kitchen. "Well, let me and Nathan go talk about what to do first since we're going to have so much fun. You guys sit tight." She said, biting her lip, nodding towards her bedroom door, gesturing for him to follow her.

Nathan did as she wanted, following her slowly, letting out a deep breath. He'd been in Tree Hill for about two weeks now, spending every free moment she had with her, but he had not gone into her bedroom yet, and while it was a small, probably meaningless gesture to her, he felt his heart speed up.

"What are we going to do?" She asked him, turning around and looking up at him, letting out a deep breath, sweeping her hair onto one shoulder. "What do you think?"

He raised his eyebrows, looking at her and chuckling quietly. "I have no idea, Haley." He said, shrugging. "Do you have any board games or anything? We could go through with our original plans and watch movies all day?"

"I think Evey would be down for that and maybe Trey, but I don't think that Dax and Danny will do it." She sighed, "This is not like me at all, okay? I don't forget about spending a day with my niece and nephews."

"You're too excited to spend the day with me." He said, smirking slightly, looking around her room. "You have a TV in here."

"Watch it, buddy. We're not watching movies in here." She said, poking his chest, letting out a deep breath. "Okay, I won't leave you with Dax and Danny because they're a little crazy. Evelyn is kind of a tomboy and really likes spending time with Trey, so they can probably entertain themselves for the most part. I honestly have nothing prepared at all."

"Breathe a little, Hales. They're just kids, they don't need an itinerary." He chuckled, letting out a deep breath, smiling at her. "Come on, you have like eight hundred nieces and nephews, you don't need to freak out."

"I don't know if you've noticed this about me, but I'm not really a go with the flow type of person. I like to have a plan." She said, letting out a sigh and punching him in the shoulder. "You keep distracting me, making me unorganized."

"What, you want me to go home and leave you all alone with no plan?" He asked her, kinking one eyebrow. "Hm?"

"No." She said, shaking her head. "Okay, Scott. Team Make Sure The Kids Don't Get Hurt Or Eat Anything Bad For Them." She said, bumping her fist against his.

"That's a long name. How about we just stick with Team Nathan and Haley?" He suggested, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Sounds perfect." She laughed, pulling open her bedroom door, glancing around outside. "I do have some board games in the closet if you want to grab them."

"Sure." He said, looking out the door. "We could always hang out in here all day. I'm sure we could figure out something to do."

"Down boy." She laughed, hitting his stomach lightly, walking out of her bedroom, pointing at the closet the board games were in.

He laughed, taking one last glance around her room, before following her out, ensuring to stop where she directed.

xxxx

Haley's heart was melting in her chest. She couldn't stop staring at Nathan as he played with her niece and nephew. He was laying on his stomach on the ground, next to her eight year old nephew, letting him help him in the board game they were playing. At this rate, Haley was the one that needed help. She couldn't even remember what game they were playing, and once it came around to her, it would probably be a little embarrassing to ask one of the five year olds to her side to help her, but she could not stop watching him interact with them.

It was heart warming. He was so gentle with them, and his laughter was so... Genuine. He was real. And he was being so, so nice to them. Gentle, kind, caring. She'd had butterflies constantly for two weeks now, but seeing him so comfortable with her family was something completely different. It meant so much to her that he didn't leave as soon as Vivian's unexpected arrival.

Unfortunately, she was positive that Vivian was going to call their mother, who would in turn call her, and then make up some lie to tell their father about how she was getting engaged next week, or she was pregnant, regardless of what Haley told her.

Mess with the gentle, stillness she was building with the man that intrigued her so much. Not that there actually was much built. She still had not gotten much out of him, and it was actually beginning to get annoying when she would ask him a question and he would find a way out of it, or a loophole. She'd tried withholding information about herself to him, but it had been difficult because she wanted him to know her, understand her.

And he was just so damn cute. Bringing her lunch while she was at school, saying little flirty things, occasionally he would blush about some of the compliments she gave him. It had been so much fun, and now that he was playing with some of the most important children in her life, it was getting a lot more difficult. The laughter was so real. She'd had the thought of how cute it was run through her mind so many times, it was practically the only thought in her head. This definitely wasn't make the distance she'd attempted to put between them any easier.

"You have to pay attention." Danny grumbled, nudging her, shaking his head and pointing to the board.

She glanced down at the board, letting out a deep breath. Okay, Candyland. Good. She wouldn't need the help of her nephews. Her eyes moved back up to Nathan's, who had a small smirk on his face. Her cheeks lit up, and she rolled her eyes, taking her turn quickly, trying to avoid her staring after that.

Nathan chuckled quietly at Haley, raising his eyebrows in her direction, clearing his throat. "You doing okay, Haley?" He questioned her.

"Yeah, Aunt Haley. Are you doing okay?" Trey mimicked, glancing over at Nathan, before looking at Haley once again.

"I am excellent." Haley said, reaching over and tapping her nephew's nose. "I guess I zoned out while Nathan was taking hours to take his turn."

"Hey now, I'm new to the game that is Candyland." Nathan said, shrugging his shoulders. "And from what I can tell based on the box, you're a pro."

"She loves Candyland." Danny said, shrugging his shoulders. "It's her favorite game."

"It is not." Haley argued, nudging her nephew and shaking her head.

"You always want to play it." Evelyn interjected, nodding at her.

"I don't want to talk about it anymore." She laughed, waving her hand and letting out a deep breath.

Nathan met her eyes and sent her a small smile, watching as she took her turn, shifting his elbows as they dug into the carpet, glancing over at the kid on either side. It was a blur as to how he'd ended up in this situation, a kid on either side of him, actually having fun. Definitely not what he thought their day was going to be like, but Haley loved her family so he wanted to get to know them, for her.

Not to mention she was swooning over seeing him with these kids. He could see it in her eyes. So, it was pretty much perfect. Another little gateway into her heart, now he just needs to get ahold of the rest of her siblings and become friends with their kids, and maybe she'll be his girlfriend. Solid plan.

They played Candyland for a little bit longer, and Nathan was actually a little bit thankful when it was over. The competitive side of him wanted so badly to trash talk a little bit, and shove the game away when he'd lost, but he thankfully held it together and was able to calm himself down.

Now he was sitting on the couch while Haley was trying to find them something to eat that she knew Vivian would approve of.

He glanced down at the ten year old next to him, clearing his throat.

"So, Evelyn, you're ten?" He said, wiping his hands on his jeans.

"Yep." She responded, looking at the TV, looking over at him and smiling.

"How old are you?" Dax asked him, raising his eyebrows and kicking his legs.

"I'm twenty-three." He responded, nodding at them. "Same age as your Aunt Haley."

"Aunt Haley is your girlfriend?" Danny asked, leaning over his brother and poking Nathan's arm.

"No! The guy that plays guitar is her boyfriend!" Trey said, nodding at his younger brothers.

"Aunt Haley doesn't have a boyfriend!" Haley called from the kitchen, meeting Nathan's eyes and shaking her head.

Nathan laughed, smiling at her and leaning back against the couch, turning down the volume on the TV. "So... What do you guys like to do for fun?"

"Mom makes us read for at least forty-five minutes every day." Evelyn groaned, shaking her head quickly.

"Yeah? Reading is good for you." Nathan responded, rubbing his neck. "What else do you do?"

"We play chess sometimes." Trey said, gesturing between him and his sister. "Mom doesn't like sports all that much so we play chess."

"Chess... Cool." Nathan responded slowly, glancing over at Haley once again. "Do you guys like chess?"

"Sometimes." Evelyn responded, shrugging her shoulders.

"We don't play chess." Danny said, sighing softly. "Trey tried to teach us but we were too bad."

"I actually don't know how to play chess." Nathan responded, "I probably wouldn't be that great at it either."

"Aunt Haley can teach you." Danny hummed, looking over at Haley and giving her a thumbs up.

"She can, can she?" Nathan asked, looking over at her and grinning. "Good to know. I'm sure there's no way I could lose if she was teaching me."

"Except to her." Evelyn said, shaking her head.

"Okay you guys, stop talking about me. Evey, why don't you tell Nathan about the spelling bee?" Haley called from the kitchen, rolling her eyes.

"Oh yeah! I won the spelling bee last week." She informed him, smiling brightly.

"I lost a tooth the same day." Trey informed him, pointing at the spot where his tooth was previously. "My news is better."

"Well, props to both of you. Looks like you've both hit milestones in your life. Very cool." Nathan said, smiling at them. "So, let me get this straight. You guys read, play chess, and study? What about sports? Play any of those?"

"Dad broke his arm playing football when he was twelve so we don't play sports." Treysin said, shrugging his shoulders.

"I play sports." Evelyn responded, crossing her arms.

"Do not!" Dax argued, shaking his head. "She's lying." He said, reaching over Nathan to poke at Evelyn's arm.

"I do so! At recess. Mom and Dad don't know but I do." She responded, pushing at her brother's hand. "I play basketball, and I want to play in real games but we aren't allowed. Maybe when I'm older."

Nathan blew out a deep breath, glancing over at Haley, who was slicing up sandwiches into triangles, staring down at them, but he could tell she was listening in on the conversation. He tapped his fingers on his knees, leaning forward a bit.

"I used to play basketball." He informed them, looking at the two kids to his right, before at the kids to his left.

"Really?" Evelyn asked him, raising her eyebrows. "Were you good?"

"I was pretty good." Nathan said, smirking. "Spent all my life on a basketball court."

"Do you still play?" Treysin asked him, nodding slowly.

"Haven't in awhile." Nathan said slowly, pushing his hand through his hair. "I have a basketball in my hand in all my earliest memories."

Haley looked over at him, sending him a small smile and mouthing 'thank you' to him, letting out a deep breath and walking over with the sandwiches.

"Can you teach me stuff?" Evelyn asked quickly, looking at him with wide eyes.

Nathan's heart dropped into his stomach, his eyes shifting to Haley once again, who shook her head, signifying that he didn't have to do it.

He could very easily say that if their parents don't want them to play, he wasn't going to teach them. He suddenly felt so nervous, standing to his feet, walking over to the fridge and grabbing an armful of water bottles out of Haley's fridge.

"Sure, if it's okay with your Aunt Haley." He finally said, not recognizing his own voice. He almost wanted to take it back as soon as it was out. Basketball made him angry. Angry that he couldn't do it, and that he hadn't done it in nearly two years. But here he was, agreeing to it so easily.

Haley hesitated, looking over at him and searching his eyes. Nothing. She got absolutely nothing out of them. Stone.

She let out a deep breath, smiling slightly. "I don't have a ball."

"I know where we can find one." Nathan said quickly, looking at her and nodding his head.

So he actually wanted to do this. Good.

"Well, it's kind of cold, but eat your lunch and we can give it a shot, I know a spot you guys can play."

"Me too." Nathan said, setting the bottles down on the coffee table, sitting down on the ground next to Haley. "The blacktop court down by the river."

Haley blinked at him, trying to find some emotion in his face.

"Yeah, you've seen it?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah, I ran past it the other day." He informed her, nodding his head again.

"Okay. Cool, we can, uh, we can go after lunch and get a ball." Haley said slowly, sending him a small smile.

"Sweet!" Evelyn said, high fiving her brothers, then Nathan, a huge grin forming on her face. "Thank you, thank you!" She hummed, hugging Haley quickly.

"Yeah, yeah." Haley responded, looking at the kids, shaking her finger at them. "But no telling your mom."

xxxx

Nathan looked around the court slowly, spinning the orange ball in his hands, as he caught the rebound that Haley's ten year old niece had shot, letting out a deep breath.

It was a pretty cheap ball, not super great material. It probably wouldn't last all that long, but it would do the job.

It was funny that this was his first time back on a court with a ball in his hands, and it was a shitty ball on a shitty court. The rim looked like it was about to fall of the backboard, the table off to the side of the court looked old. Probably the best bet of fixing this place up would be to tear it up and redo it completely.

But it felt safe. It wasn't a court with screaming fans. The games played here didn't count. They were fun. No score needed to be kept, lost games didn't equal a loss in fans. Missed shots didn't matter.

There was probably a lot of history at the place— the Rivercourt. That's what Haley had called it. She seemed familiar with it, like she'd been here plenty of times.

He glanced over at her as she stood at the other end of the court with her nephews shooting up at the basket, almost laughing as she would awkwardly toss it back to them, sometimes too hard, sometimes too soft. Very rarely did she ever get it passed directly to them.

He glanced back at Evelyn, smiling slightly. "Okay, you're trying too hard." He said, smiling at her, bounce passing the ball back to her. "You need to relax a little bit. Breathe. Arc it a little more." He nodded at her, watching as she did so, rolling around the rim and falling in.

"Better." He said, letting out a deep breath and tossing it to her. "Remember, kind of flick your wrist. Some gym teachers use the phrase putting your hand in the cookie jar." He chuckled. "You're doing great, really. Just keep working on what I told you and you'll get it."

"Thanks, Nathan." Evelyn said, letting out a deep breath. "You want to shoot?"

Nathan looked up at the basket above his head, swallowing the ball in his throat, wiping his palms on his jeans once again.

"No, I'm alright." He said, sending her a small smile. "Let me guard you a little this time. Think you can break away from me?"

Evelyn nodded, beginning to dribble the ball, dribbling it from her right to her left hand as Nathan had taught her to do.

Nathan put a little pressure on her, not nearly as much as he would've done had it been a real game, falling for it as she faked left, then broke right, scoring a lay up.

He smiled, clapping his hands. "Nice job. You got me." He said, shoving his hands into his pockets, glancing over his shoulder at Haley, who barely had time to seat the ball away that had been passed to her, scolding her nephews.

Too busy staring at him. She was worried about him, and he could definitely tell.

He smirked slightly, telling Evelyn to keep trying, before walking over to the other side, lifting up Daniel so he was closer to the rim, laughing as he tossed it in.

Haley watched him again, letting out a deep breath. He looked happy once again. But it was different. He looked like he belonged here. On this court, on any court really. When she saw him with the ball rested in his hands, she saw the grin that formed on his face for the briefest second, before it was overtaken by the stone, somber, brooding look once again.

It made her sad when he turned down any shots that were offered to him, because maybe he just couldn't do it yet. But she wanted him to. She wanted to be there when he took his first shot again. Maybe he'd never play professionally again, or ever play on any type of team, but she could tell it was a part of him. A missing part of him, that he needed to get back, because he wouldn't be himself without it. Not fully, anyways.

xxxx

Haley looked over at Nathan as they stood in the elevator of his motel, a small smile on her face. She gently brushed her hand down his arm, meeting his eyes as he looked over at her. She'd insisted on giving him a ride home that night, even though he'd rented his own car. He'd cracked the joke about how she just wanted to pick him up the following morning, and she'd smiled, but didn't deny it.

"I had so much fun today. Thanks for hanging around." She said softly, nodding at him.

"Me too." He assured her, smiling and wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "I like them."

"They're great kids. Vivian is a little protective, but I can't say I blame her." Haley laughed, biting her lip.

"Yeah." He responded, looking at the doors as they opened, stepping out slowly, pulling her with him.

"Did you really have fun? I'm sorry about the whole basketball thing, you didn't need to do that." She whispered to him.

He shook his head, chuckling quietly. "I had fun, Hales. So much fun. Learned some tips on how to steal your heart as well."

She laughed, shoving him lightly, resting her head against his shoulder for a brief moment. "Well, it was certainly adorable. Seeing you with those kids made my heart race, not going to lie."

He laughed, pulling her closer to him, pressing his face into her hair, closing his eyes for a second. "Good to know. I'll have to start looking into having a kid of my own if it makes you weak in the knees. I'm sure I could find some takers."

"Funny." She said sarcastically, pausing as they approached his door, frowning slightly.

"It's open." He stated the obvious, removing his arm from around her, instead placing it in front of her. "Stay back." He said slowly, stepping forward quickly, resting his hand on the door handle of the partially opened door.

Haley gripped down onto his arm, her fingernails digging into him, biting down on her lip. "What are you going to do?" She whispered to him.

"Haley, stay back." He said again, a bit more forcefully, forcing her to let go of him, quietly pushing the door open of the darkened room.

He flicked the lights on quickly, stopping in his tracks and letting out an annoyed groan at the person sitting on his bed.

"What the hell are you doing here, Peyton?"


	11. Chapter 11

**Another, much quicker update. While Peyton isn't my favorite character, I think that her and Nathan have some great moments (friendship wise) in the show, so I wanted to add some of them in here.**

 **In this story, Nathan is the type of person (if you can't tell) would much rather runaway than deal with his issues, just a warning.**

 **Chapter 11**

Nathan blew out a deep breath, staring at Peyton and shaking his head angrily. Why was she here? It was probably Lucas, that little asshole. No one would take a hint. Ignored call after ignored call, nothing would stop them from invading his life. Maybe he was selfish that he hated how much his friends cared about him. But he really was just tired of people. Tired of everyone taking care of him.

"What, Nate? No hug hello? I'm great, you know. Nice to see you too." Peyton hummed, standing up and holding her arms out to him.

"What, you thought I would be happy to see you?" He snapped to her.

He really needed to cool off. He honestly wasn't sure why seeing her made him so heated. He didn't have a reason to be mad, besides the fact that her presence was announced.

"Hey now." Peyton said, smirking at him. "Don't be nasty, Nathan."

Nathan crossed his arms, his eyes looking over her, before meeting hers.

Peyton mirrored his pose, her eyes staring into his.

She broke eye contact a minute later when her gaze landed on Haley, who had now poked her head into the hotel room, a smile forming on her face.

"Hi." Peyton announced, looking past Nathan at her.

"Hello." Haley said slowly, her eyes glancing towards Nathan's back, before looking at the stranger in front of her.

Haley. He hated the thought, but he'd forgotten about her momentarily when he saw the fiery woman sitting on his bed. He didn't like this situation, not one thing about it.

"I'm Peyton." Peyton said, nodding at Haley, letting her crossed arms fall to her side.

"Don't talk to her." Nathan snapped, stepping in front of Haley so that she was blocked from Peyton's view.

Haley scowled at that, looking up at Nathan and shaking her head. He was kind of acting like a jerk. Of course, she didn't know who Peyton was, or his history with her, but he couldn't just go around stepping in front of her whenever he felt like.

"Haley." She responded, moving in front of him, her expression blank as she stared at Peyton.

"Right." Peyton said slowly, nodding. "Nice to meet you, Haley." She hummed, looking at Nathan.

Nathan couldn't take it. For some reason, he felt like he was going to explode, having them in the same room together. Maybe it was the hint of mischief in Peyton's eyes, or maybe it was that he felt like the wall he put up was going to come down if Haley spent time with anyone he knew that wasn't Clay or Lucas. He just... Wasn't ready to talk about it. He wanted everything to stay where it belonged. So one of them had to leave. Someone one had to get out of there.

He glanced at the door, then at Peyton, then Haley. He sucked in a slow, deep breath, kicking his foot at the ground. This decision sucked.

"Hey Haley?" He asked, forcing his voice to stay steady as he spoke, training his eyes on Peyton once again.

Haley looked over her shoulder at him, raising her eyebrows. "Yes, Nathan?" She asked him, frowning slightly.

"I think you should leave." He said, moving his eyes to the wall that the bed was up against, shoving his hands into his pockets.

Haley felt her heart drop at his words, letting out a deep breath, pushing her hand through her hair. "What?" She asked softly, biting her lip. She knew she heard him, but she was almost giving him a second chance. A chance to change his mind. Because if he was sending her away with no explanation at all, it may cause a shield to come up on her end of things. He clearly knew the girl that had broken into his hotel room, and while he seemed angry, well... Haley was being the one sent away, not her. Maybe there was the big long backstory, but it still hurt. Especially at how cold his words sounded to her. He wouldn't even look at her.

"You heard me." He said, shrugging his shoulders simply. "I think it's time for you to leave." He said in a bit more of a snappy tone.

Haley bit down on her bottom lip, looking at Peyton, suddenly dreading the polite smile she'd offered her when she entered the room, and the kind introduction. It wasn't fair. She'd spent so much time with Nathan, and now he was kicking her out for another girl. Maybe it was nothing, but she couldn't help but let her thoughts wander into what could possibly happen once she left the hotel room, and it was eating her up.

"Haley." He grumbled out, tilting his head to the door. "Get out. Go home." He barked out at her, shaking his head quickly. He could feel her hurt expression on him as she quickly hurried out of the room, letting out a deep breath, his eyes landing on Peyton once again.

Peyton crossed her arms, sitting down on the bed. "That wasn't very nice." She commented.

"Doesn't matter to you." He said simply, blowing out a deep breath, glancing towards the door again, turning away from her and resting his hands on the back of his head. "What do you want, Peyton? Why are you here?"

Peyton smiled at him, walking over and pulling him into a tight hug. "Come on, Nate. You know you missed me."

He hesitated, before he did eventually allow his arms to wrap around her, hugging her loosely, looking at the wall behind her. She looked different than when he last saw her. It had probably been close to a year since the last time she'd visited him in New York. Her hair was darker, more of the natural color that he'd never seen instead of the fake blonde look, and instead of tight curls it had a wavy look to it. She looked nice.

"How's it going, Nathan? You're looking a lot better than the last time I saw you." Peyton said, touching the side of his face.

He jumped away from her touch. "Don't. Why are you here? Lucas told you to come, didn't he?"

Peyton laughed, shaking her head. "Now why would he tell me to fly all the way to this town?" She questioned him. "Maybe it's because you're ignoring every single one of his calls and he couldn't come over here."

"Take a hint. I didn't want anyone here." Nathan said simply, yanking his jacket off and tossing it on the chair near the desk in the corner of the room.

"Here's the question, you don't want anyone here, or you don't want anyone near her?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows at him.

"Look, you don't get it. No one gets it." Nathan snapped, shoving his hands into his hair. "I just don't want to do it anymore, Peyton. I don't want to think about it, I don't want to relive it everyday of my damn life, okay? So would you all stop treating me like I'm some kid that needs to be watched over?"

Peyton looked at him, sitting down on the edge of the bed quietly, patting the spot on the bed next to her. "Come here."

Nathan looked at her, before quietly taking a seat next to her on the bed, crossing his arms and shaking his head. "I don't get why you're here."

"Your brother was worried about you." She said simply, shrugging her shoulders.

"Why?" He asked her, shaking his head and looking at her.

Peyton laughed, ruffling his hair and throwing her arm around his shoulder. "Maybe it's because you don't answer his texts or calls. Or maybe it's because you've shut yourself off from everyone and disappeared to some small town in North Carolina."

He sighed softly, pushing his hand through his hair. "I want to be alone. No one will take a hint." He growled out.

"Do you? Because parading around and acting like nothing is wrong with some girl doesn't seem like you want to be alone. You've practically moved here. Two weeks is a long vacation, my friend." She pointed out, nodding at him.

"Why, are you jealous?" He asked her, smirking slightly.

Peyton shoved him, rolling her eyes. "As if. I'm afraid that ship has sailed. Long gone." She laughed, sending him a small smile. "What are you doing here, Nathan?"

"You look nice, Peyton." Nathan said softly, falling back so he was laying on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.

Peyton looked down at him, shaking her head. "What? Not going to answer?"

"We don't talk about feelings, Peyton. Not something we've ever done, and I don't really care to start now. It doesn't matter anyways." He said simply, staring up at the ceiling. "She wants to know me and I'm fighting back. She's going to get tired, and instead of drowning... She's just going to swim away."

Peyton looked down at him, "So what you're saying is... 'Never really been in a serious relationship in his whole life' Nathan Scott is finally falling for someone, actually falling, and he's too afraid of talking about his past to let everything go?"

Nathan sat up, before jumping up to his feet, pacing the room. "Why don't you go home too?" He asked her again, shaking his head and lacing his fingers into his hair again.

"I think I'm good where I'm at." She said, looking up at him. "Why are you freaking out, Nathan? Why don't you want me here?"

"You're here to spy." He responded. "On me. For my brother. What, are you two dating or something? Maybe you should get your shit together before you come around telling me to get mine together?" He snapped.

"No, Nathan. You don't need to be such an ass! I was there too, Nathan. When it all started, okay? So I understand what you're going through, or at least a small portion. It carries on with you, but there is no reason for you to be such a dick to everyone that gives you the time of day." Peyton scolded him, shaking her finger at him. She stepped across the room to him, poking his chest. "I don't get you, at all. One second you're having a real conversation, and then you're closed off. Maybe it would help for you to talk about it. Lucas told me that your friend Clay tried to make you do counseling and you just made sarcastic, rude comments the whole time."

"Back off, Peyton. You've basically been PMSing your whole entire life. Queen bitch." He growled out to her, rolling his eyes.

She shook her head, letting out a deep breath. "You get so rude when you're defensive." She informed him. "Hope you don't act like this with Haley all the time."

"Only around you. Guess you bring the worst out in me." He grumbled, sitting down in the chair near the desk, letting out a quiet sigh.

She was quiet for a second, before she walked over to him once again, resting her hand on his shoulder. "Look, Nathan... I can go if you want, but I think you need to stop running from everything. Stop drinking the pain away, and start talking about it."

Nathan looked up at her, closing his eyes for a brief moment, his leg bouncing quickly. "How have you been?" He asked her quietly, changing the subject from himself.

"I've been doing well. LA is so big, it's a dog eat dog world, but I'm managing." Peyton said, sending him a small smile. "I'm teaching art classes."

"Really? That's cool." He said, clearing his throat. "I forgot that you could draw."

"Yeah, well we've never exactly spent all our time together discussing talents and aspirations." Peyton chuckled, ruffling his hair. "Now, can I ask about you without you biting my head off?"

"You can try." He responded, standing up once again, sitting down on the bed, kicking his shoes off and crossing his legs, leaning against the headboard behind him.

"Still living in New York?" Peyton asked, filling his previous spot in the chair.

"Yep." He said, crossing his arms and looking at her.

"Same house?" She questioned him, smiling slightly at him.

"Yes, and I don't plan on moving out of it." He said simply, shaking his head. "Clay moved out."

"That's what happens when you get married. You move out of your buddy's house and into your wife's house." She informed him, smiling and chuckling quietly.

"I know." He said, crossing his arms. "That's it."

"Still friends with the hot bartender?" She asked, winking at him.

Nathan rolled his eyes, "Yes." He chuckled, shaking his head.

"Well, damn. I may need to pay you a visit." She joked, laughing quietly. "Can I ask about why you're here?"

"No." He responded, picking up one of the pillows next to him. "I don't want to talk about it."

"I'm asking anyways." She said, nodding at him. "She's beautiful."

"Yeah." He said, staring at the blank TV on the wall.

"How do you know her?" Peyton pried, trying to get some form of information out of him.

"She's Quinn's sister." He said, deciding to give her the simple version of the story.

"You were kind of a jerk to her today." She informed him.

Nathan's gaze moved to Peyton, "Really? I had no idea." He bit out sarcastically, letting out a deep breath. Peyton didn't deserve his snide comments. Haley didn't deserve to be treated the way he'd treated her today. Or at least the last half hour of the day.

"She makes me nervous." He finally said, sighing softly. "I don't know, Peyton. I don't know why I yelled at her, or why I'm even here, really. But I can't seem to leave her."

"Because you like her." Peyton said, smiling at him. "But you know that, and she knows that."

"Yeah, I do." He said simply, sighing softly. "She likes me. I know it. But she won't let it go anywhere until I open up to her more."

"So why don't you just open up to her?" Peyton asked him, shrugging slightly.

Nathan rolled his eyes, sighing softly. Right, that was so easy. Much easier said than done.

"I can't." He said, tossing the pillow in her direction. "It's just too hard. I want a clean slate here. I want Haley to forget about it, and just live my life again."

"If she's smart, she won't let you do that." She responded, chuckling quietly.

"She's so smart." He groaned, pushing his hand through his hair. "I was a jerk to her." He grumbled. "Literally, I've been here for two weeks, but before that I hadn't talked to her for like three weeks. And now I yelled at her tonight."

"Why were you ignoring her?" Peyton questioned him, standing up and sitting down on the bed next to him, shaking her head.

"Because I got scared." He said softly, "I don't want to relive everything. That's why I just stick to people that know enough about me, or people that I know won't ask questions. People that don't care."

"Well then why are you still here, Nathan? If you don't want to talk about it, and you know she's not going to stop, then why don't you leave?" She asked him simply, leaning back against the headboard.

"Because I like her so much." He said, blowing out a deep breath. "I've never, ever felt like this before. Ever. And I haven't even known her that long. I just... Like her."

"Then why the hell did you send her away today? Because of me? I saw the look in her eyes, Nathan. That hurt her. I don't know, maybe you just gave her the impression that something is happening between us. I just don't get it." She said, shaking her head.

"Because I didn't want the two parts of my life to mesh. She already knows Clay, and sort of knows Lucas. That's enough for me. I didn't want you two becoming friends or anything." He grumbled, shrugging slightly.

"Oh, heaven forbid." Peyton laughed, shaking her head. "I know it's more complicated than this, Nathan... But the way I see it, you have two options. You can either start tearing down your wall, and open up a little bit, or you can lose a girl that you like, or stay in the friendzone forever, because it's really not fair. You seem nicer, sure, but if you can't stop thinking about yourself, and start thinking about her, then you're no different than you were when we dated. Selfish." She said softly to him. "You need to start opening yourself up, buddy. If not, you could end up in an even darker place. But you do seem happier than the last time I saw you. Healthier."

"What should I do?" Nathan asked her quietly. "I don't feel like myself anymore, Peyton. And I haven't in awhile. I just... Fake the level of confidence I need to have for every situation."

She smiled slightly, letting out a deep breath. "What do you do every day, Nathan?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"I exercise a lot, and wait for Haley to be done working, and then spend time with her." He said, pushing his hands through his hair.

"Maybe you need to find a purpose, buddy. You have Haley, but maybe you need to find something else to get you out of bed. The last time I saw you it was booze, so there's an improvement there." She said, smiling at him. "Call your brother, too. Honestly, the guy is freaking out a little. He'd probably storm this place if he didn't know that you talk to Clay every day. Instead he made me do it."

"What should I do?" Nathan asked her, pushing his hand through his hair.

"I don't know, Nathan. Go back to school, move to LA and take an art class from me, write a damn book like Lucas. But you should find a purpose, other than sitting around waiting for her to get off work all day." Peyton said, resting her hand on his arm.

Nathan nodded slowly, closing his eyes and leaning back. "How should I go about this situation? How do I apologize for snapping at her and sending her away?"

"You just apologize, my friend. And hope she forgives you, and show her that you're sorry." She hummed, "Talk to her. She is a human too, isn't she?"

"To my knowledge, yes. It wouldn't surprise me if she was an angel or something though, she's really amazing." He laughed, smiling slightly. "I like her a lot."

"I can tell." Peyton hummed, "You have a dopey smile on your face." She teased him, poking his side. "You're going to be okay, Nate. I know it."

"Thanks, Peyton." Nathan said slowly, pushing his hand through his hair. "So, tell me, you didn't come here for the hopes of a one night stand, did you?" He asked her, smirking slightly.

"You caught me." She said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "I didn't even get another hotel room, just figured I would sleep in here."

Nathan laughed, pushing her lightly. "Yeah, you wish." He teased her, smiling slightly. "I'll have to give Luke a call. When do you leave?"

"Tomorrow morning. Impromptu, Lucas promised to pay for my flight and all my expenses, overnight trip. Tomorrow, after I fly back to LA, I'm stopping at the most expensive restaurant I can find and sending the bill to Lucas. Then maybe a couple of stores. He can handle it." Peyton chuckled, standing up. "I'm going to stop by here tomorrow morning and wake you up to say goodbye though."

"Sounds good." Nathan said, following her actions, standing to his feet. "Thanks again, Peyton."

"Don't mention it." She nodded, letting out a deep breath. "I think you should really think about what I said, Nate. Opening up to her. I think it may work in your favor."

"Or she might bail. People always leave, right?" He asked, smirking at her.

She shoved him lightly, "Jackass. I'll see you in the morning."

He laughed, winking at her. "See you in the morning. If you think of anymore tips on what I should do to fix the mess I'm slowly creating, let me know." He said, walking to the door and pulling it open.

"You could try calling her." Peyton chuckled, patting his chest and stepping into the hall. "No late night reminiscing and running into my hotel room, Scott. I won't let you do it."

"Trust me, I won't." He said, smirking, watching her walk down the hall and disappear into a room, before closing his door an letting out a deep breath.

He pulled out his phone, pushing his hand through his hair slowly, tapping on Haley's name in his contact list, pushing the call button and holding it up to his ear.

One ring... Two rings...

"Hey, you've reached Haley James. Leave a message."

Her voicemail after two rings. There's no way she had not just denied his call. Shit.

He sighed softly, tossing the phone onto the bed, sitting down and breathing slowly. Of course he'd managed to screw things up again. But luckily, to his advantage, Haley James couldn't resist him.

He would fix things again, and hopefully fix a little bit of himself in the process.


	12. Chapter 12

**Bear with me, everyone. I promise that Nathan is going to start opening up soon. I promise.**

 **I actually kind of enjoyed writing this chapter, the words were flowing. It may sound weird, but I like writing a fighting Naley, because I like writing their make up scenes, and I like writing them working through their differences and becoming something great.**

 **Chapter 12**

Nathan let out a deep breath as he knocked on Haley's apartment door, taking a small step back, shoving his hands into his pockets. After what seemed like an hour long bus ride, he was finally standing in front of her door, running through a list of things to apologize for in his head.

He shouldn't have treated her the way he had the previous day. He treated her like she was a kid, and like she meant nothing to him, shooing her away so easily. It was ridiculous on his part, and he was so angry at himself. It was selfish, and inconsiderate. He wanted to step out of his body, beat himself up, and step back in so he could feel the pain inflicted.

When she opened the door, he couldn't stop the small smile from forming on his face. Even with the annoyed look she was sending him, she was still so adorable. Wearing a Stanford sweatshirt and yoga pants, an outfit that he recognized as her Sunday morning outfit.

The thoughts going through Haley's head were completely different though.

As soon as Haley opened the door, she felt annoyance overcome her. The way she'd felt when she left his hotel room last night... Definitely wasn't a good feeling. She was hurt by his actions, and by the forceful tone he used on her. Kicking her out when he was clearly upset to see Peyton there last night was a little surprising, and it was a very different side of him.

It was annoying. Hurtful, rude. He could've politely asked her to leave, but instead he was demanded and snappy. He seemed so angry, and it was odd. It was almost like a switch had flipped inside of him, going from 'Of course I'll stick around and hang out with your niece and nephew' to 'Get out and go home right now.' And it was very frustrating. Definitely different from the Nathan that for past two weeks, had treated her like she was a queen. Opening doors, giving her compliments. Now it was different, and she felt a little different. She felt a little more hesitant, a little more private, and that was just one night where she had not seen or talked to him. She was angry at him. Not really because he wanted her to leave, she was hurt by that. She was angry because of the way he commanded she left.

"Morning, Hales." He greeted her, zipping his jacket up a bit more, trying to block out some of the cold air, but also to give his hands something to do to hopefully help release a little bit of the nerves.

"Nathan." She greeted him, letting out a small sigh. "Are you here to get your keys?"

He shook his head, sending her another smile. "No." He said, looking down at her. "I thought maybe we could talk."

Haley let out a deep breath, disappearing back into her apartment, closing the door behind her before Nathan even had the idea of following her in. She didn't really feel like talking. Maybe she was being a little childish, but she had to think this through. She really didn't want to be caught in another relationship where it was destined to fail right from the start, and the more time she was spending with Nathan, the more she could feel her willpower giving. He could be an ax-murderer for all she knew, really. He was so quiet about his personal life and it bothered her a lot.

She let out a deep breath, picking up his rental keys off the counter, tugging open her door once again, looking up at him and holding out his keys to him.

"Here are your keys." She said simply, nodding at him and sighing softly.

"Haley, come on." He said, shaking his head, pushing his hand through his hair. "Please."

"I really don't feel like talking right now, Nathan. I can't mess around with you today, I have so many essays to grade, and they're all six pages. I was going to do half of them yesterday but Vivian showed up." She said simply.

"We were going to hang out today anyways." He said, pouting at her. "Haley."

"I was going to wait until you fell asleep on my couch and start grading, but I have a suspicion that you wouldn't fall asleep on the couch." She said, shaking her head. "Just- not today."

He sighed softly, looking down at her. "Alright." He said slowly. "Call me if you want to talk." He offered her a sweet smile, before turning away, head hung in defeat.

Haley had to bite her tongue to stop her from calling him back as he walked away, shutting the door behind her and shaking her head. She wasn't just going to come in with his handsome smile and sweet words and forgive his cold attitude towards her last night. She'd probably been a little too forgiving when he outright abandoned her without as much as word a short time ago. It wasn't fair to her, and really it wasn't fair to him if she kept forgiving him so easily.

He was an adult, he didn't need her holding his hand and explaining exactly what he did wrong, then hugging him and acting like the problem was gone.

Haley let out a deep breath, walking back over to the bar in her kitchen, taking a seat, sliding her glasses onto her face, picking up her red pen, and beginning to look over the paper on top of the neat stack, trying the block out the tall, dark, and handsome man from her brain for the time being.

xxxx

Haley let out a deep breath when she heard a knock on the door a couple hours later. She glanced at the clock. Just after noon, she really had surrounded herself with work.

She stood up slowly, pushing her hand through her hair, setting her glasses back down on the countertop, looking at the now much smaller stack waiting to be graded.

She walked over to the door, pulling it open and shaking her head. "What, Nathan?"

"I brought you some pizza." Nathan responded, grinning at her. "I figure that by now, you're getting pretty close to finishing up your grading, so you're probably hungry."

She let out a deep sigh, leaning against her door frame for a brief second. She glanced down at the pizza in his hands.

"Okay. But it's for the pizza, and not for you." She said, turning around and walking inside once again.

Nathan smirked slightly, following her into the familiar apartment, setting the pizza box on the table. "That's good enough for me."

"As soon as I finish eating, you can go." She informed him, grabbing two plates, picking up her papers, moving them off the bar. She set the plates down, taking a seat and letting out a deep breath.

He nodded in response, taking a seat next to her, setting the box down, picking up a slice of pizza and setting it on her plate.

He let out a deep breath, sending her a small smile as they made eye contact for a second. "Haley..."

"Hey, I'm eating." She said, shaking her head.

Nathan sighed softly, pushing his fingers through his hair, turning his focus back onto his pizza. He shook his head, tapping his fingertips on the countertop, shifting in his seat. He had to figure out a way to get her to talk to him.

After a little while, he rested his elbow on the counter, leaning his head against it and looking over at her.

"How's the grading going?" He asked her, smiling slightly.

"It's going well." She said slowly, sighing softly and glancing over at him. "What have you been doing?"

"I went on a run, and I went back to bed for awhile." He said, shrugging.

"Sounds fun." She responded, glancing at him once again.

Nathan let out a deep breath, "Haley..." He began.

"Nathan." She cut him off, shaking her head. "I told you that I don't want to deal with it today."

"I know, Haley. But... I just want to apologize." He said slowly, pushing his hand through his hair. "I want to treat you like a queen." He said softly. "I told myself this was going to be different."

"You didn't..." She trailed off, sighing softly. "Y'know, sleep with her, did you?"

Nathan rested his hand on her shoulder, meeting her gaze and shaking his head. "No, I didn't. And I wouldn't."

"Okay." She said softly, looking down at her plate.

"I just, it's hard to explain." He said, letting out a deep sigh. "I just want you to look at me like I'm great." He said quietly.

"I do think you're great, Nathan." She said quickly, nodding at him. "But I also know that I don't deserve to be tossed to the side when something you don't like happens."

"I know you don't." He said, blowing out a deep breath. "And I'm so sorry for that, Haley. I just didn't want the two of you to interact."

Wrong choice of words. The look on her face told him that. She looked angry and hurt by them.

"You know, Nathan..." Haley said, standing up. "This isn't what I want, okay? I want a give and take, and right now, I'll I'm doing is giving, and I'm not receiving anything from you. And I don't mind giving information to you, by any means, but eventually, you're going to have to face whatever it is you're hiding from me, and from yourself. Because I'm not going to do this, Nathan."

Nathan sighed softly, standing up. "You don't understand, Haley. You don't." He said, tapping his fingers on the countertop.

"Then make me understand, Nathan!" She responded, letting out a frustrated breath. "Because it's getting harder, not being with you, okay? There, I said it. It's getting more difficult not to just grab you and kiss you."

"Why does it matter so much, Haley? I mean, honestly. It doesn't matter what has happened to me, all that matter is what happens to us, right? Or what's going to happen to us?" He argued with her, pushing his hands through his hair. "I'm not ready, Haley."

Haley let out a long, deep breath, clearing their dishes off the counter and setting them in the dishwasher slowly.

She was silent for a long time. Nathan could hear his heart pounding in his ears. He watched as she scrubbed at a nonexistent mess on the counter, then pulled open her drawers and tidied them up a little bit.

Not a word was spoken as she walked over to the refrigerator, and checked the expiration dates on various items, none of which ended up being expired.

She wasn't talking, but he could almost see the wheels turning in her head, the words floating around. He could see her anger, and her exhaustion. She looked so exhausted today compared to yesterday. Buried problems do eventually surface.

Haley walked over to her papers she was in the process of grading, picking them up slowly, placing her glasses back on her face and looking at him, before she eventually spoke, her voice steady.

"We'll then I'm not ready either." She said simply, moving the pizza box, setting her papers down.

"What do you mean?" He asked her hesitantly, clearing his throat.

"I think you should go." Haley shrugged, letting out a deep breath. "I need some time."

"Go?" Nathan questioned her, raising his eyebrows.

Surely she didn't mean...

"Back to New York." She answered his thoughts, sighing softly. "I need to figure out what I want, Nathan. I don't know anything about you."

He shoved his hands into his pockets, eyeing her.

"But you do." He said quietly, kicking his foot at the ground.

"Information that you told me seven years ago isn't helpful towards the relationship I'm trying to have with you in present time. You're different now." She said, letting out a deep breath. "So, before I tell you as forcefully as you told me last night, I think that it would be best if you went back to New York and we spend some time apart."

Nathan looked at her, opening his mouth. He could feel the words spilling out of him, but as soon as he was about to speak, he couldn't talk about it. Peyton's words the previous night had given him more confidence to tell her, because he should tell her. But he couldn't say it out loud.

So he didn't say anything. He just nodded his head, letting out a deep breath, and glancing towards the door, walking to it slowly, a heavy weight in each step. He was losing her, right then and there. But he was too weak to stop it.

"Bye, Hales." Nathan finally said, nodding at her, pulling open the door.

"Bye, Nathan." Haley replied, biting her lip, watching him walk out the door.

She took a seat slowly, brushing her fingers through her hair, picking up her already graded stack, setting it on top of the papers that still needed to be looked over. She looked down at the top paper, glancing over the read marks on it. Her gaze moved to the door once more, then back to the paper.

She let out a deep breath, beginning to regrade the first essay.

Time to bury herself in more work.


	13. Chapter 13

**These most recent chapters have just flown out of me! I've really enjoyed writing them, thank you all for reading.**

 **Chapter 13**

One drink, two drinks, three drinks...

It was all becoming a blur.

At least Chase had the good sense not to play the compassionate friend tonight, and kept pouring him drinks.

Four days since she'd answered him.

Four days of hell.

Maybe he should be finding himself or some shit like she wanted him to be doing.

But instead he was drinking himself into a stupor. Maybe something would happen to him, and she would be scared into visiting him, or picking up her damn phone.

He was weak, and he knew it. She lasted weeks without him, and seemed stable once he'd finally showed up on her doorstep.

Four damn days and he was a wreck. He was weak for Haley James.

With that thought, he downed the next shot glass that was in front of him.

The first night had been hard, but Quinn was off taking pictures in who knows where, so Clay had crashed at his house.

Thankfully, Clay had the good sense not to play the compassionate friend either, and didn't say one word about his sister-in-law.

It felt like old times, and Nathan almost enjoyed himself for a little while. Clay had counted while he worked out, as usual. Not counting the ones where the bar didn't go all the way to his chest, or he didn't go down far enough in a push up, of course. Then they'd eaten unhealthy, drank beer, invited Chase over. It was a great distraction.

But then Quinn came home the next day, and Clay left. And he was back to the silence.

It was nearing February and the Christmas decorations were still up, a constant reminder of what he could've had, and what he'd lost.

And without any distractions around the second night, it really hit him.

It wasn't just the yearning, it was the anger towards himself, and maybe a little bit towards Haley for caring too much.

Nathan had blacked out, woken up with the tree they'd put up together fallen on the ground, broken glass around him, a dull aching in his back that instead of taking medication for, he just decided to push through. Might as well at least feel some physical pain, instead of the constricting in his chest.

Clay stopped by and forced it down his throat. And then he'd said something rude about Quinn that made Clay leave.

Now he really felt alone. Of course, maybe he wouldn't be if he stopped being such a jackass, and answered one of his brother's calls.

Night three was spent in the bar, a different one than the one Chase worked at, and after spending the whole day drinking, he really didn't drink that much that night. Just typed messages to her, before erasing them. He never did end up sending one to her.

Here he was. Night four without her. Even in his near intoxicated state, he remembered every detail. So much for drinking to forget. The plane ride home had been terrible. Thankfully, he'd flown first class and been by himself. But nothing had stopped the guilt he felt. He'd been very good while he was in Tree Hill, no drinking whatsoever. But on the plane ride home, he'd had a drink in his hand from the moment he was asked if he'd like anything. She'd be disappointed in him.

The thought made him pick up the next shot glass, raise it to his lips and tip his head back. He squeezed his eyes shut, setting the glass back down.

"What can I get you next, buddy?" Chase asked him, leaning against the counter, sending Nathan a smile.

Nathan brushed his fingers through his hair, looking up at his old friend. "I want a Brain Blaster." He said, nodding his head.

Chase laughed, rolling his eyes. "Like hell you do." He grumbled, reaching forward and pushing on his friend's shoulder. "Coming right up."

Nathan looked around the bar. It wasn't overly crowded, but it was decent. A little too full, if you asked him.

"It worries me a little bit that you aren't drunk." Chase chuckled, setting the bright blue drink in front of him.

"Kiss my ass." Nathan hummed, picking up the drink, beginning to drink it down quickly, before setting the empty glass down a short while later.

Chase blinked slowly, looking down at it, before looking up at him. "I'm not sure that I've ever seen anyone finish one of those." He said, picking up the glass.

"I think they're getting better." Nathan informed him, smirking slightly, his voice slurring a bit.

"Okay, maybe you are a little drunk." Chase said, shaking his head. "How about a water? And then I'll give you some more drinks?"

"Nah." Nathan said, pushing his hand through his hair. "I want something strong, man. Something that is just going to taste horrible."

"Let me look around." Chase said, letting out a deep breath, pouring Nathan a two more shots, before moving to help someone else.

It wasn't long until his senses were dulled. He could feel himself stumbling over his feet, and his words. And Chase thought it was kind of funny.

"And I punched Lucas right in his face! Little shit had it coming, I'll tell you that." Nathan laughed, smacking Chase in the shoulder. "What do you think, Clay? You think he's a jerk?"

"It's Chase." Chase chuckled, removing Nathan's hand from him. "I don't think Lucas is a jerk."

"Haley likes him." Nathan said, shaking his head. "Lucas took my girlfriend from me, you know."

"Haley?" Chase asked him, raising his eyebrows.

"No, Peyton! She liked him, and she dumped me for him." Nathan said, stretching his arms arctics the bar. "Haley just likes singers, you know. Peyton liked Lucas. Oh, let's not forget the real winner of this, the lying slut that I wasted my time on in college."

Chase looked at him, nodding his head slowly, tapping his fingers on the bar.

Nathan looked around the bar quickly, his eyes wide. "Which one?" He asked his friend, shrugging.

"What do you mean?" Chase asked him, frowning.

"You see that blonde behind me to the right? She's been eyeing me all night." He slurred out, pausing, before tilting his head towards a girl sitting on the opposite end of the bar. "The brunette has been moving closer to me for the last half hour, she was at a table with her friends. So which one?"

Chase shook his head, "Nathan, I don't think this is a good idea, I really don't. You're drunk." He said, letting out a deep breath. "I think you'll regret it."

"Why the hell would I regret it?" Nathan snapped, "This is who I am, right? What's the point? There's always going to be something to fix and change when it comes to me, so why not just ignore all my problems and not worry about any type of relationship?" He asked his friend, blinking quickly at him.

Chase sighed, resting his hand on Nathan's shoulder. "I feel like we end up in this situation a lot, Nathan. You getting angry at me for trying to stop you from making bad decisions."

"Look, she just moved closer to me again. She'll be over here pretty soon." Nathan said, glancing over and letting out a deep breath.

"Look, Nate..." Chase let out a deep breath, shaking his head. "Come with me, alright? There's a couch in the back room. It's only nine o'clock, and you're already hammered. I'm off in two hours. You can crash there and I'll take you home."

Nathan looked at him with glazed over eyes, glancing over at the brunette girl once again. He felt it. He felt that it was a horrible idea, and felt the guilt of even thinking about it surround him. Even in his drunk state, he knew Chase was right.

"You're right." He finally said, standing up slowly, clearing his throat.

He felt even worse as Chase led him into the back room. He couldn't believe his own thoughts. Haley James was slowly taking over his world, but he'd actually thought of hooking up with another girl. His girl was in Tree Hill. Alone. Maybe.

She wasn't his girl. But he wanted her to be, felt like he needed her to be his girl.

Chase dropped Nathan down onto the couch, looking down at him. "Okay, buddy. You okay?"

"No, I'm not okay." Nathan choked out, squeezing his eyes shut. "I just..."

Chase nodded down at him. "I know." He said softly. "Maybe just try and get some sleep, okay?"

Nathan nodded, leaning back against the couch, pushing his hand through his hair. "Okay." He responded, nodding again. "Thanks, Chase."

Chase nodded, ruffling his hair and chuckling quietly. "Don't mention it." He said, before walking out of the room.

Nathan tilted his head back against the couch, crossing his arms and letting out another breath. Sleep. That would give him a small escape. Hopefully.

xxxx

Nathan woke up to Clay shaking him, his eyes fluttering slightly. "Clay?" He asked, his voice hoarse.

"Hey, Chase called me." Clay said, holding out his hand. "Let me take you home, Nate." He said, sighing softly.

"I don't want to go home." Nathan said, his voice breaking. He grabbed onto Clay's hand, pulling himself up to his feet.

Clay nodded his head, "Okay, well let me take you to my house." He said, letting out a deep breath.

Nathan looked at him, rubbing his head. "I need to stop drinking." He mumbled, groaning quietly.

Clay laughed, beginning to lead Nathan out to the bar, nodding at Chase. "I agree." He said quietly, letting out a deep breath.

The ride to Clay and Quinn's house outside of the city was silent.

Nathan's head was killing him, but at least he could walk without stumbling around, and form a sentence without too much thought.

One hour of sleep and he had sobered up quick. Maybe a little too quick, because now he was about to go inside of Haley's sister's house.

He grabbed onto Clay's arm as they were about to enter, looking at him.

"Clay... I'm sorry." He said quietly, letting out a deep breath.

Clay raised his eyebrows, looking at him. "For what?"

"For what I said about Quinn earlier. I didn't... I didn't mean it. And for everything else." Nathan said quietly, sighing softly.

Clay sent him a small smile, draping his arm around Nathan's shoulders. "Hey, don't worry about it." He said softly. "I forgive you."

"Thank you." Nathan said quietly, nodding at the front door. "I can go home, if you want."

"Come inside, you idiot. It's only ten, maybe I'll send you home in a cab at midnight." Clay laughed, guiding him into the house.

"Clay? How is he do- Oh, Nathan. Hey." Quinn said, sending him a small smile as she looked up from her laptop.

"Not great." Clay said, grinning over at Nathan. "He's still a lightweight."

Nathan chuckled quietly, rolling his eyes. "Jerk." He grumbled, nudging his elbow into his side.

"Come sit by me, Nate. Clay, go get him some water." Quinn said, patting the spot on the couch next to her.

Nathan sighed softly, walking over and falling onto the couch next to her.

"At least you sober up quick." Quinn said, ruffling his hair. "How're you doing?"

"Good." Nathan said quietly, clearing his throat.

She kinked her eyebrow, looking at Clay, before looking back at Nathan. "Really?"

"You guys were right." Nathan said, letting out a deep breath. "I just... I shouldn't have gotten close to her. It's like she has me trapped or something, and I can't stop thinking about her."

Quinn smiled at him, closing her laptop and setting it on the coffee table in front of her. "She's pretty great."

"She's my dream girl." Nathan said, looking up at the ceiling. "Literally. I can't get her out of my head, and I haven't been able to get her out of my head for seven years."

"What?" Clay asked, taking a seat on his opposite side, raising his eyebrows and looking at Quinn. "Nathan, we've only been married for close to two months, buddy. I know this week has been long, but..."

"I met her in high school." Nathan cut him off, shaking his head. "I knew her at your wedding."

Quinn blinked, looking at him. "Wait a second." She said, looking at Nathan, then at Clay. "You're her blue eyed California boy?" She asked him quickly.

Nathan half-smiled, looking down at his hands. "I used to be." He said softly, letting out a deep breath.

Quinn looked at him with wide eyes, shaking her head. "No way. She would have told me."

"It's true." Nathan said, shrugging his shoulders, taking a long drink if the water Clay had provided.

"I'm a little lost." Clay cut into the conversation, nodding at the two of them.

"Haley toured Stanford when she was junior in high school, for about a week with our parents." Quinn said, looking over at Clay. "She called me late the last night they were there, and was just talking and talking about her day. How she'd met this arrogant, flirty, charming, amazing guy." She said, looking at Nathan. "It's you, you're her guy?"

Nathan nodded his head slowly, pushing his hand through his hair.

"That explains so much, actually." Quinn said, letting out a deep breath.

"That's why you wouldn't leave her alone." Clay said, nodding his head. "I told you to stop, but you wouldn't."

"I've been waiting for her to walk back into my life." Nathan said quietly, kicking his foot at the ground. "And she finally did, and I couldn't pass it up."

"I can't believe she didn't tell me." Quinn said softly, looking at Nathan. "That would also explain why she's so upset over you. God, Nathan... I'm sorry. I didn't know you were her guy."

Nathan tipped his head back, "I was. But she doesn't want me anymore." He said softly, brushing his palms down his jeans. "She doesn't."

"I'm not entirely sure that's true." Quinn said softly, letting out a small sigh. "I'm breaking sister code right now, but I think it's for a good cause."

Nathan looked at her, nodding his head quickly.

Quinn grabbed her phone, opening up her and Haley's text messages, beginning to read out loud. "I miss him. I know you don't want me to, but I do." She read, glancing at him. "He makes me happy, maybe I should have just been satisfied with that, but I wanted more. I want everything. To know him, to be with him, near him. I want him to be there when I wake up, and when I go to bed. Maybe I'm crazy, but he's consuming me." She said, letting out a deep breath. "There's more, but this is all just from the past day."

Nathan smiled slightly, looking at Clay. "Clay?" He asked him softly, shaking his head.

Clay looked at him, nodding his head. "Yeah, Nate?"

"What should I do?" He asked, letting out a deep breath.

Clay smiled slightly, shrugging his shoulders. "I wish you would've told me, Nathan. Maybe I wouldn't have been so against it." He said, nodding.

Nathan laced his fingers into his hair, "I'm sorry." He said, shaking his head. "I thought I would never see her again, and I could have her, but I screwed it up." He said quietly. "What should I do?"

Clay looked at Quinn, before looking at Nathan. He let out a deep breath, "I know you don't like to relive the past, but there's only one thing to do, Nate." He said, nodding his head. "You have to tell her."

xxxx

Nathan tossed some money at the cab driver as he pulled up in front of Haley's apartment complex. The late January air was freezing, not to mention the rain that was pouring down on him.

He stood there, waiting as the cab drove away, his duffle bag slung on his shoulder. He stared up at the building as the rain soaked through his clothes, to his skin. He could do this.

He could do this.

He just needed to repeat that thought to himself, and ignore the urge to run away and find the nearest bar.

Instead of being weak for Haley James, he was going to be strong for her.

He could do this.

Nathan let out a deep breath, ascending the familiar stairs that led up to her apartment, shivering slightly from the cold, and from the past that he hated reliving. He found her door quickly, looking over his shoulder at the dark night. The sky was covered in clouds, making it even darker. There were no stars visible. Just rain pouring down.

He was going to do this.

Nathan raised his fist, pounding on the wood loudly, knowing that she would probably wake up easily to it.

It was only a minute before Haley opened the door, wrapping her arms around herself at the chilly air that was let in, looking at the sad, soaking man in front of her in surprise.

Nathan swallowed, letting out a deep breath.

"I'm ready to talk."


	14. Chapter 14

**I really wanted to prolong this chapter to let the previous chapter sink in for a few days before I updated this story, but I honestly could not stop writing. I'm really nervous about this chapter. I really don't want to disappoint anyone. Thank you so much for reading!**

 **Chapter 14**

Haley blinked at him quickly, her brain trying to process what was going on after waking up to a loud pounding on her front door.

"It's freezing out there, Nathan! Get inside." She said, gesturing for him to step into the house. "You're soaking wet, how long have you been out there?" She asked him, taking the bag from him, dropping it onto the ground.

Nathan looked at her, tilting his head to the side. "Haley, I'm ready to tell you-"

"I heard you, Nathan." She assured him, rubbing her hand over his arm. "You're shivering." She said, letting out a deep breath.

"Let me tell you." He said, letting out a slightly frustrated sigh. He was going to lose his courage, he knew it.

"I will." Haley said, picking up his duffle bag once again, "But you need to get into some dry clothes or you're going to get sick. Take a hot shower too."

Nathan looked puzzled, frowning slightly. Only she would be forcing him to take a hot shower right now, when he was ready to tell her something she had been longing to know.

Haley led him to the bathroom, opening the door, turning the shower on quickly, turning it to the the hot water. She walked out for a moment, before returning with a towel, holding it out to the broken man in front of her.

"Here." She said quietly, letting out a deep breath. "I'll be waiting." She hummed, pressing the towel into his chest, and hurrying out of the room. She found herself sitting on the couch, hugging her knees to her chest.

What if he was a murderer? Or a thief? What if he was on the run? What if he had a family that he abandoned?

There were millions of possibilities running through her head.

She paused suddenly, a small smile forming on her face.

He trusted her. He needed her.

She stood up, walking into the kitchen, biting down onto her bottom lip, beginning to make him some hot chocolate.

It wasn't long before Nathan emerged from the bathroom, the same somber look on his face.

She slowly tapped the spot on the couch next to her, glancing towards the clock. It was nearing two in the morning.

Nathan did as she requested, taking a seat next to her, thanking her quietly for the hot chocolate, and then it fell silent again. The only noise was the pouring rain outside.

After his little moment at Clay and Quinn's house, he'd gone home, threw a bunch of clothes into his bag, bought a plane ticket from Tree Hill to New York, which almost didn't take off because of the weather, and was on the two hour flight as soon as he possibly could be.

He cleared his throat, looking over at her. "I think you'll be more familiar with it than you think." He said quietly, tapping his fingers on the mug, before it fell silent again.

Haley looked at him, forcing herself to not say anything, gently resting her hand on his arm, nodding slightly.

Nathan stared down at the warm liquid in his hands, letting out a slow, deep breath. "Clay knows, Chase knows, Lucas knows, and Peyton knows. There are a few other people that know details, but not everything." He said, letting out a deep breath. "Really, only Lucas and Peyton know everything, but Clay and Chase know most of it."

She nodded again, feeling the material of his black, long sleeve shirt in her fingers. He was still shivering, despite the hot shower and the warm clothes he'd changed into. And Haley didn't think there would be a way to stop it.

He closed his eyes, for a second, sucking in a deep breath.

"My whole entire life, my dad has pushed me around." Nathan began, avoiding her eyes. "Not physically, not really, but verbally. Yelled, told me I was nothing if I couldn't play ball as well as he could. And I let him." He said softly. "I believed him."

Haley blinked at him, wishing desperately that he would look at her, but his eyes stayed trained on the liquid in the mug.

"Lucas is three months older than me, my dad and his mom were high school sweethearts, she got pregnant, he left her for school. He went to school in North Carolina, where my mom is originally from, and he met her, and got her pregnant." He said, watching as his shaking hands made the water ripple.

She carefully reached her hand out, resting it over one of his hands, biting her lip.

"He made me feel like I was worthless, Haley. Nearly every day of my life. But at the same time... He built me up. Does that make sense?" He asked, glancing at her for a second, before quickly adverting her gaze.

"Yes." Haley said quietly, scooting closer to him. "It makes sense." She whispered.

"He told me I was great, and that I was destined to be great." He said gripping his hands around the cup tightly. "And I believed him. I believed him when he told me I was great, and when he told me I was shit." He shook his head, "There was this one time, when I was playing little league baseball, I was a pitcher." He said, before adding a small smile and looking at her. "That's the one that throws the ball."

He was joking around. And it broke her heart even more, really. Seeing him like this was hurting her.

"My dad was the coach. Anyways there was this kid, Billy Lions, and he was a great hitter. Everything was a homerun." He informed her, letting out a deep breath. "He stepped up to the plate, there was nobody on base. So I just walked him." He said simply, shrugging. "In baseball, if you get four balls, you walk to the base." He added, glancing over at her once again. "My dad calls a timeout, comes to the mound and I'm thinking he's going to say something like 'smart move' or 'good thinking' or something like that. So he grabs me by the arm, and he kicks me in the ass as hard as he can. He literally had to grab my arm so I wouldn't go flying, he kicked me that hard." Nathan said quietly, looking down at his shaking hands. "Then he sat me on the bench, never mentioned it again."

Haley felt her fists curl up, gripping his shirt tightly and staring at him. She couldn't believe it. Why would he do that?

"He wasn't all bad, you know." Nathan said, sitting up a bit straighter. "There was this other time, when I was a kid, that we went to Disney World, and I was just a kid, and I was scared to ride any of the roller coasters, and he road the tram with me all day." He said, shaking his head and smiling slightly.

Haley slowly released her grip on his shirt, resting her hand on his bouncing knee as he got silent again. The look in his eyes one that may keep her awake at night.

"My mom was never around much." He finally spoke again. "She worked a lot, out of town. When she was home, it was almost tolerable, because I had someone there to defend me, but when she was gone... I was alone." He said, looking down. "And she was gone a lot. I guess I never really thought much of it until I got older."

This was the first time she'd heard Nathan speak about his parents in the past two months, and the first time she'd heard anyone speak of them. She thought back to when she'd been at his house all those years ago. There had been pictures of them, and the picture he'd given her a couple of weeks ago, so their images burned in her mind.

"I did whatever I wanted because my dad would get me out of it." Nathan said, shrugging. "Because if I got in trouble, I couldn't play basketball. I stole a school bus, I beat the shit out of Lucas." He said, shaking his head. "I hated him. Lucas. My dad owned this car dealership in the next town over, and one day I'd been there, and there were pictures of Lucas in an envelope in a lock box in his desk drawer. I hated Lucas so much."

She hung onto every word, biting her lip and staring at him. She wanted to smooth her hands over his tense muscles, tell him that he didn't need to talk about it right now. But she wasn't going to.

"My mom was an alcoholic." He said, shrugging. "And I know why. She was constantly taking pills, almost constantly had a drink in her hand, and I don't blame her. Until one day, my junior year, right after Luke joined the basketball team, she came home. And she was my mom again." He said, letting out a deep breath. "Things started to get worse after Lucas joined the basketball team, with my dad. He was continuously pushing me, telling me I wasn't good enough. My mom had become friends with Lucas' mom somehow, which set him off even more. I couldn't lose my star spot on the team, not to Lucas." He said, lacing his fingers in his hair. "There was a big game coming up, and my dad had the all time scoring record, and he kept hounding me about how I wasn't good enough to beat him. And I believed him. My friend Tim's brother dealt me some stuff, and I took it right before the game, and I was on top. And right before I was going to score the basket to beat his record... I collapsed."

Haley's eyes were wide as he told this story. What kind of a father treated their son like they were some pawn? Tossed him around, told him he was nothing.

"I woke up in the hospital to my dad, and he was okay for a little while. My mom never came and saw me, she was working at the Karen's Cafe, sorry, Luke's mom's cafe. My dad didn't even think to call her. And when we got home, the explosion started. Arguing... Screaming..." He closed his eyes. "And I couldn't escape it, Haley. There was no where for me to go, because I was caught in the middle."

She watched as his head dropped, her heart breaking even more, if that was possible. He wasn't happy. Even the boy she met all those years ago, wasn't happy. He had an act. Even back then, he was faking it.

"I couldn't call Peyton, because at that point... She'd already started messing around with Lucas. Plus our relationship didn't exactly end on a high note. Tim was a good friend, but not a deep, tell everything to friend, more of a hey let's go get wasted kind of guy. I had a lot of friends, Haley. But none of them would understand." He said, letting out a deep breath. "So I left. I walked out of my house in the middle of their screaming, after I'd just been in the hospital. I just sat on the beach, alone. All night. And when I walked into my house the next morning, there was an empty bottle of wine sitting on the counter with one glass next to it. My mom was asleep on the couch, and my dad didn't give me a second glance as I walked upstairs. Of course, they were getting divorced, and I was ready for it. I thought my mom was a genius. But my dad fought it." He sighed, shaking his head. "And my mom fought him, and they started fighting over me. Bribing me." He sighed, leaning back. "I knew my dad was an ass, but he made it seem like my mom was hiding things from me as well. Throughout this whole time, Lucas' mom was out of town in Italy for cooking school, and I got on better terms with Lucas, not great by any means. He was being watched by my dad's brother, Keith, who unlike my dad, stuck around for Lucas. Well on the day they were supposed to pick Karen up, they got in this horrible car accident, put Luke in a coma. I found myself in his hospital room one night, wishing I was him. Wishing I could've been the one that was abandoned. How screwed up is that, Haley? I wanted to be abandoned by my own dad." He said, shaking his head quickly. "And while I was talking to him, he woke up. And I don't know... He just kind of had my back from there on out. He's my brother."

Haley nodded at him, still saying silent while he told her about his history, biting down on her lip lightly, wishing that there was a way to make him stop shivering.

"We didn't win the championship, I told you that. Whitey was out because he was getting eye surgery, and my dad, the great Dan Scott, of course stepped up to be the coach. He told me to drive to the basket, even if I was double teamed, but instead, I passed it to Luke because he was open. He missed it, and my dad blamed me. Lucas shouldn't have even been playing, Haley. His shoulder was injured. My dad was such an ass. Luke tried to step up, but my dad shot him down, and kept yelling at me, telling me I was a joke, and I yelled back." He leaned forward, staring down at his still full cup in his hand. "I tried to quit the basketball team once, you know. I didn't have the courage to go through with it. I liked to think that I was strong, Haley. But I was just a teenager, and I just wanted my dad to tell me he was proud of me." He said, his voice cracking.

Haley's hand shot out, brushing over his back slowly, looking at him and nodding her head, biting her lip.

"I found out what my mom was hiding from me too." He said, looking down. "She'd met a guy, and left my dad and me. I didn't realize it at the time, but I could pinpoint the exact moment she left now. That was one of the worst summers of my life. My dad was a nightmare to me, and I would call her and complain about him, and she never came home because she was with some guy. It infuriated me to no end, so I left her. Can you believe that? I chose to live with my dad. I'd gotten accepted into this camp, so I'd be gone for the whole summer anyways, so I just had to make it the rest of my junior year, and Luke's couch and bedroom floor definitely weren't comfortable enough for me to sleep there for months, no matter how good of a cook his mom was." He chuckled quietly, shaking his head. "The only time I felt true joy that whole entire year was the day I spent with you."

She let out a deep breath, looking at him. She couldn't believe this. She didn't want to believe it. He really was broken. How dare anyone treat him like this.

"My mom's brother, Cooper visited me. He was my hero, Haley. He's not too much older than me, and he was my hero. He was a race car driver, so he took Luke and me to his friend in California's track, and we got to drive them. I had just gotten in this huge fight with my dad that day. Huge, I'd walked into my mom drinking a huge bottle of wine, and I just couldn't handle it." He began, looking down at his handles.

Haley felt her heart drop into her stomach, staring at him with wide eyes. She gripped his shirt again, letting out a deep breath. Surely he didn't...

"I started speeding up, going way faster than Coop told me to, and I just kept hearing the words of my dad telling me I would never be anything, and hearing my mom tell me that she abandoned me." He let out a deep breath, looking down at the cup in his hands. "And I crashed it. Ruined a super nice race car."

Haley felt her breath catch in her throat, holding back the tears that formed in her eyes as she looked at him. He'd only glanced at her a couple of times as he told her these things. She scooted closer to him, gripping onto his arm tightly.

"I hurt my knee, and I have this pretty jagged scar over my ribcage. Lucas saved my life, he pulled me from the car. He was there when I woke up, Peyton was there, Keith was there. My parents were there. My dad was primarily focused on rehab, so I would be all set for high flyers, and it didn't take long for me to get back in my groove, I rehabbed, and now my knee is fine." He said, tapping his knee.

Haley gently rested her hand over his hand on his knee, biting her lip. "Nathan..." She trailed off, biting her lip.

"It really gets messed up after this, Haley. So if you want me to go, you better tell me now." He said quickly, his eyes glazed over.

"You don't need to-" She began, letting out a deep breath. "I don't want you to go, Nathan. But you don't need to continue."

"Yes I do." He said, setting his cup on the coffee table, staring down at his hands, watching them shake. "I can go."

"Don't go." She said softly, grabbing his hand, holding it to her lips for a brief moment, nodding at him. "Take your time." She said softly, squeezing his hand.

"My mom tried to kill my dad." He blurted out after about five minutes of silence, his head dropping.

Haley froze, staring off into space for a second, before her eyes shifted to him. How the hell was she supposed to react to that? She felt like she couldn't breathe for a second. She just wanted him to look at her.

"She tried to burn down his car dealership, right before I left for high flyers." He said, pushing his hands into his hair, gripping the ends of it. "My mom tried to kill my dad." He repeated, closing his eyes. "My mom... Tried to kill my dad." He whispered, shaking his head, laughing quietly. "My mom tried to murder my dad, Haley."

Haley held his hand close to her, watching him as he started to quiver, his eyes getting dark. She wanted nothing more than to take his pain. It crushed her to see him like this. But the story was beginning to sound a little... Familiar.

"Lucas pulled him out of the fire." He said, shaking his head. "He should've left him to burn." He growled out, standing up quickly, shaking his head.

Haley looked up in surprise as he stood up, grabbing onto his hand once again. "You don't need to continue, Nathan. You can stop there, if you'd like."

Nathan looked at her, "I can stop." He said quickly.

The look in his eyes... Again, it would haunt her. He looked wild. It's a wonder how he ended up even remotely normal. He looked afraid to continue, almost. He was reliving it, and as much as she wanted to understand him, she didn't want to put him through pain. He'd given her so much tonight, and if he wanted to stop, she would be okay with it.

"You don't need to stop, Nathan." She assured him, carefully pulling him back down onto the couch with her. "It's up to you."

He squeezed his eyes shut, nodding slowly. "Okay." He said, wiping his hands on his sweatpants. "Okay." He repeated.

Haley wanted to calm him down. She stroked her hand up and down his back lightly, and despite his shivering, he was sweating.

"I guess Luke was the only one that knew, Luke and my Uncle Keith." He said, shrugging. "I'm leaving out some details, of course. But we weren't doing super great in basketball. Lucas has this heart condition, HCM. I forgot to tell you- my dad has that too, that's how we found out, because my dad had a heart attack before the school year was over. I didn't have it, but Lucas did, sorry, I didn't mean to leave that out." He said, sighing.

Haley nodded at him, brushing her fingertips over his neck. "Okay." She said softly.

"We lost the first game, and the second. And my dad came into the locker room, just being and ass, and I told him to get out, and he grabbed me my the jersey, and shoved me up against the lockers. Whitey came out with a baseball bat and told him to get the hell out." He said, shaking his head and pushing his hand through his hair. "All I could think about is how that's my dad."

She brushed her hand up through his hair, before trailing it's way back down his back, letting out a deep breath. She didn't know what she was expecting out of him, really. But it wasn't this. It wasn't this heartbreaking story about him that she was hearing right now.

"My mom was gone soon after that. She'd called me the day after she left and I met her at this shady hotel and she told me about what she'd done. I was living in her house on my own. Luke and I weren't getting along anymore, not really. I was really angry, at a lot of things." He said, shrugging his shoulders. "I was on top of my game, and Lucas was sucking ass because of his heart condition, and I couldn't stand it, I can tell you more stories about that later." He chuckled, leaning forward. "Want me to keep going?" He asked her, looking over at her quickly. "If it's possible, it gets even messier."

Haley nodded her head, resting her hand on Nathan's cheek, brushing her thumb over his collarbone. "I'm here to listen, if you want to keep talking." She whispered, sending him a small smile.

"So, since we were playing like shit, Whitey made us get out of the field house, and go to this crappy old gym that we had to fix up. And it sucked ass." He chuckled, shaking his head. "Anyways, we were riding the bus back to the school from there one morning." He said, letting out a deep. "And everyone was standing outside. We got off the bus, and this girl told us that someone had a gun inside." He said, letting out a deep breath.

Haley looked at him, the gears starting to turn in her head. She really did know this story... Where did she know it from?

"Peyton wasn't out there, so Luke and I made a plan to go inside and get her, and we got inside before anyone could stop us. I was supposed to meet this girl Rachel outside of the tutor center after practice, so I figured she'd be in there, and we split up. Baseball bats in hand, not much use against a gun." He said, his voice and his eyes dark.

Haley clung onto him slightly, scooting closer to him. She didn't like it. Didn't like the idea of him entering an area like that.

"Peyton had gotten shot. In the leg." He said, closing his eyes and touching the point on his leg. "I got into the tutoring center, and the kid that had the gun was in there." He said, letting out a deep breath. "He was Luke's friend. Before he joined the basketball team, and they sort of lost touch. There's a completely different kind of fear when you have a gun pointed at you, Haley."

Haley blinked at him. There's nothing she could say. She had no idea what to say, so she just nodded, biting down onto her bottom lip.

"This girl was diabetic, and Jimmy let her go. I don't think he was a bad guy, Haley. He was just a guy that had been pushed around a lot. He said his dad left him and his mom because of how much a loser he was. I think he was just tired of it." He said, letting out a deep breath. "Which doesn't excuse his actions by any means, I just don't think he was a bad guy. Just forced into having malicious thoughts."

Haley gripped his bicep, smoothing her hand down his forearms until her hand reached his, interlacing their fingers together. She needed to feel closer to him.

"There was a noise from outside, and Jimmy left to go investigate." Nathan said, looking down at their hands. "Not much time had passed after we left, that we heard a gun shot. And then another." He said, shaking his head. "My first thought was Lucas, and I felt sick. I didn't want anything to happen to my brother."

Haley watched as his hands were removed from hers, and clenched into fists. He looked angry. His face was different than any way she'd ever seen it.

"It wasn't Luke. He made it outside safely with Peyton. No... Keith had gone inside and told him to leave, and tried to talk Jimmy down." He said, letting out a deep breath. "Everyone just assumed that Jimmy shot Keith, then shot himself."

Haley nodded her head, grabbing one of his fists in both of her hands, biting her lip.

"Everyone just assumed that, okay? But Luke just felt weird about it. His mom wouldn't listen to him, no. His mom was in love with Keith. She was pregnant with his baby. They were supposed to get married, and he was going to adopt Lucas." Nathan growled out, shaking his head. "Lucas hated Jimmy for it at first, but he knew that Keith would have forgiven him, so he did." He said, squeezing his eyes shut. "I think back a lot, Haley. I didn't know Keith all that well, because my dad didn't like him. I never spent much time with him. But the stories Lucas tells make him seem great. I wish I would've just spent some time with him."

She let out a deep breath, a million thoughts running through her head all at once. This was difficult for her to even listen to, she couldn't imagine what I would've been like to live it.

"My mom had moved back after Keith's funeral, and she was horrible. Had a drink in her hand from the moment I woke up, popping pills left and right. She missed my championship game because she was high, or whatever. There was one time, where I tried to hide her pills in my backpack, and she came into my class, and demanded them from me. I gave her the option, the pills or me, and she stared me straight in the eyes, grabbed the pills off my desk and left." He shook his head, letting out a deep breath, his voice shaking.

Haley raised her eyebrows, looking up at him. How... What? There's no way... How could this all be real? She'd thought her parents occasionally neglecting her was bad. This was a whole different level. A entirely new level. Even Brooke's parents, who had been awful, never did anything like this to her, at least not in high school.

"That's not relevant to the this though, I don't really know why I told you that. Anyways, Lucas just felt off about the whole thing. His mom was pregnant, and for some reason... Dan had been helping her, and it was just weird." Nathan said, shaking her head. "He just felt weird about it. So he kept digging into it, searching for answers. I guess he just couldn't figure out why Jimmy would shoot Keith. They all grew up together, and loved Keith." He said, leaning back. "And he found answers."

"What did he find?" Haley asked him, biting her lip and raising her eyebrows, resting her hand on Nathan's arm.

Nathan stared straight ahead, his expression becoming emotionless. "The girl, that Jimmy let go... She saw the whole thing." He said, letting out a deep breath. "The whole thing."

Haley watched him, waiting as he searching for the words. She watched as he swallowed, felt his palms get sweaty. And again, she was reminded of how horrible his life had been. She'd had no idea. He lived in a huge house, and seemed very happy with his life when she'd met him. She'd barely scratched the surface of Nathan Scott.

"Jimmy shot himself first." Nathan said, blinking slowly. "And then..." He let out a deep breath. "Keith rushed to him, and my dad appeared. Without a word, my dad picked up the gun and shot his brother dead."

Silence. Haley didn't even breathe as he barely whispered the last part of his sentence. She couldn't believe it. But again, the gears in her head were spinning, and it finally clicked.

Lucas Scott's book was a true story.

He'd changed the names, and some of the details, but the man in front of her was telling her the first version.

"Oh god." Haley choked out, looking at him. "Nathan..."

"He always hated him, Haley." Nathan said, his eyes meeting hers, staring into them. "He was always jealous, and almost never had a kind thing to say about him. Told me he was washed up, told me I didn't want to end up like Keith my whole life. I wish I had the ounce of strength that Keith had, because he didn't care what Dan thought." He said, looking away from her.

"You do." Haley said quickly, resting her hand on his cheek, making him look at her again. "You're strong, Nathan. I see it, okay? You ended up okay. Most people wouldn't." She said, nodding at him quickly and biting her lip. She needed him to believe it, because right now, she wasn't sure if she'd ever seen anyone stronger than him.

"I didn't believe Lucas. My dad was a shitty guy, but murdering his own brother? That was crazy." Nathan said, shaking his head. "I mean, my mom tried to burn his dealership down, but he'd treated us like shit for a long time, it was her escape. Keith was a good brother when Dan let him be one." He mumbled, closing his eyes. "No one believed him. Except my mom did. She believed him. She sobered up for long enough to try and help Lucas prove he was guilty. She warned me, told me to stay away from him. But for the first time in a long time, he was being nicer to me. Maybe it's because I was doing what he wanted. We'd won the championship, I'd been accepted into Duke. Everything was falling in line. I didn't believe her, thought she was crazy. But on my high school graduation day... I confronted him about it."

She let out a deep breath, nodding. She wanted his story to end there, at this. His dad went to prison, it even says it in Lucas' book. She wanted it to be over, but she sensed that it didn't.

"He turned himself in. On my graduation day. Neither of my parents showed up. Karen was having an emergency c-section, and my mom stayed there with her." He sighed, shaking his head. "You've read it, you know how it goes." He said softly, looking down, fiddling with his fingers.

"That's why you've never read it. You don't like reliving it." She said softly, resting her hand on his leg. "Why did he write it?"

"It's his escape. Basketball was mine, and now it's alcohol." Nathan said simply, shrugging and looking down at her hand. "Do you want to hear more?"

Haley sent him a small, comforting smile, "I want to know what you're willing to tell me, Nathan Scott."

"Luke and I made a pact to never go see him." Nathan said, sighing softly. "Lucas went to UCLA, I went to Duke. I guess... My mom felt like I abandoned her. Every time I flew home, it just felt wrong being there. It didn't feel like my home. My mom still lived in the same house, and I could see her going down hill, so I dropped her off at this rehab center, and left her." He said, shaking his head. "I returned her phone calls once a month, texted her back maybe three times if she was lucky. I stayed home every single holiday, called her and wished her a happy whatever it was, on her birthday I would send her flowers, but that was it. I was just trying to leave it all behind. Obviously, information was out there. Clay was the first person I told. But I really just tried to focus on basketball. I worked my way to the top, just like I did in high school. In high school, I was the king of the school. I got the girls, the booze, the parties, I had it all. I loved it, really, but I didn't ever take the time to be someone I would look back and be proud of, until it was pretty close to over. At Duke, I kind of went back to the arrogant attitude to cover up the pain. The girls, the parties, all of it." He said, closing his eyes once again. "I remember it all so vividly. The night before the biggest game of my life, my mom had tried to call me a dozen times, and I ignored them." He said, shaking his head at himself. "I was too jittery to listen to her cry about how much she missed me. Those were my exact thoughts, I rolled my eyes at every single call, and pushed ignore before it even had the chance to ring twice. Clay was with me, Luke was with me. Clay had graduated, Luke was there just to watch the game. Chase was my roommate at the time, but he went to pick up pizza or something like that." Nathan whispered, keeping his eyes shut. "Clay was to my left." He said, reaching over, touching her leg. "Luke to my right." He said, touching the empty spot on the couch. "We were watching footage." He said, swallowing. "About an hour later, a different number called me, and I ignored it at first, and then it called again." He tilted his hand upwards, his palm facing her.

Haley slid her hand into his like she assumed he wanted, letting out a deep breath as she listened to the story, watching his face as he recollected the details.

"I answered the call with a kind of annoyed 'hello' and it was definitely not what I had expected." He said, pushing his hand through his hair.

She watched him get a somber look on his face, and if she wasn't already emotional from listening to him... She felt like a mess for him. She wiped at the tears that had fallen from her eyes quickly as one escaped his still shut eyes.

"My mom had killed herself." He whispered, his voice barely audible.

If she had not been listening so closely, she may not have heard it. She felt her heart stop for a second at his words. They ran through her mind over and over again, and she felt more tears brimming in her eyes, but she quickly pushed them away. She was going to be strong for him. He needed something stable, not a sobbing mess.

"I dropped the phone." He said, shaking his head. "I couldn't hear anything, my head was spinning. I surely couldn't have heard them right... But it was clear as day. And I just blurted it out to Clay and Lucas. Both of their heads snapped in my direction. I remember every detail. I demanded they took me out to the bar, or else I was going to drive myself, then drive home. So they did. I remember Lucas trying to get ahold of his mom, but she didn't pick up. That's why I was at the bar drinking that night. Everyone just assumed I was a stupid twenty-two year old, and I was. If I would have just picked up her phone call..."

He blamed himself. Oh god. He blamed himself for his mother's death.

"No." Haley blurted out, her own voice surprising her. She sounded so stern, causing his eyes to open in surprise. "It's not your fault, Nathan." She said, grabbing his chin and forcing him to look at her. "It is not your fault."

Nathan looked down at her, letting out a deep breath. "She took a whole bottle of pills that night, Haley." He said, resting his hand on her wrist, pulling it off his face, looking away from her. "She just wanted to talk to me." He said softly, "Things could be totally different right now."

"No, Nathan. Don't blame yourself, it will eat you alive." She said quickly, grabbing his hand, resting it on her own cheek.

It explained quite a bit about him. Why he drank so much, why he didn't let people it. It was hard for him to remember it. He was drinking to forget.

Nathan cupped her cheek for a second, brushing his thumb over her smooth skin. "I broke her." He whispered, letting his hand drop. "I didn't mean to do it."

Haley wiped his cheek off when another stray tear fell, closing her own eyes and letting out a deep breath. She was at a loss for words.

He rested his hand on his own leg, letting out a deep breath. "I deserved to be in that wheel chair, Haley." He said simply, shaking his head. "Karen told me that my mom visited my dad in prison... And he told her that Keith tried to kill him in the dealership fire." He said, keeping his gaze on his legs. "My mom was freaking out to Karen. She blamed herself for Keith's death, because she was the one that actually started the fire. That's what I think happened. I think that guilt just became too much for her. But I could've stopped her."

She bit her lip. She could see that same guilt in him right now, and it worried her. Immensely. She just wanted to lock her doors, and hold him for the rest of their lives, never let anything hurt him ever again.

"I visited my dad after that. The only time I did. In a wheelchair. He already knew, word got back to him. He didn't ask me about it though, just listened to what I had to say, and then encouraged me to get back up again." He said simply, letting out a deep breath. "You have no idea how often I think about it, Haley. I'm thinking about it almost all the time. I moved in with Clay, he was supposed to be my agent, Luke had to finish school. I had money burning a hole in my pocket, always had a drink in my hand, even worse than I am now. We live in a different house before the one I live in now. We moved though. There was a pool in this place, and Clay didn't like how much time I spent in my chair, staring down at the water like it would be some escape."

"Did you ever think-"

"Yes." He answered her, shrugging his shoulders. He let out a deep breath, "I grew out my hair, and had this shaggy beard, you would've hated it." He joked flatly, shaking his head.

She offered him a small smile, leaning over, wrapping her arm around his shoulders.

"My dad had a heart attack about six months ago, he didn't make it through this one." He said, letting out a deep sigh. "So I guess we never need to argue about who's home we get to spend the holidays at." He attempted to joke again.

Despite everything he'd just told her, Haley could tell he was not at peace with either of his parents deaths. His joking around was forced, and for once... She saw right through it. Saw right through him. Her eyes shifted over tithe clock. They'd been sitting there for almost two hours, it was close to four in the morning.

She looked at him, shaking her head. "Let me be your escape." She whispered to him.

"What?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows.

"You said basketball was your escape. Let me be your escape now." She said, rubbing his shoulder lightly.

"You don't want that." He chuckled, looking down at shrugging slightly.

"I want it." Haley said quickly, looking at him and biting her lip. "Okay? I want to be your escape." She said softly, brushing her fingers through his hair. "Will you let me?"

He looked over at her, nodding his head. "You asked for it." He chuckled, relaxing back against the couch.

"Yeah." She responded, smiling at him. "You're strong, Nathan." She whispered, nodding.

Nathan sent her a small smile, leaning his head back and looking up at the ceiling. He closed his eyes, letting out a deep breath. "So now you know."

"Now I know." She said, studying his face. He suddenly looked relieved, as if he was glad the recollection of his past was over.

They sat there silently for quite some time. Nathan stayed still in his position, while Haley gently stroked her hand over his arm, wanting to provide him the comfort she could tell that he needed.

After awhile of the silence, she could tell that he'd fallen asleep, his features looked more relaxed, his breathing was slow.

She carefully pulled him down so that his head was rested in her lap, lacing her fingers into his thick, dark hair.

And the floodgates let loose. She had kept it together for him because she could tell that he needed her to be stable. She felt herself turn into a sobbing mess, trying to be a quiet and still as possible so that she wouldn't wake him.

She was honestly shocked to find out all of these things about him. He seemed so happy when she met him. Most of the time he was happy around her. And she wanted him to be happy. She wanted to do whatever it took to make him happy.

He didn't want to tell her, but he did anyways. And that meant so much to her. It said a lot about him as well.

There was only one thing she could do. Have the patience, and the desire to carefully and slowly put every piece of his heart back in place.

Haley wiped at her eyes, looking down at him and letting out a deep breath.

He didn't deserve this pain, and she was going to do everything in her power to take it away. She was going to be his escape.


	15. Chapter 15

**Thanks for reading!**

 **Chapter 15**

Haley woke up to the sound of rain falling, and a sharp pain in her neck. She let out a deep breath, looking down at the man laying on her lap. She interlaced her fingers into his hair once again, a small smile forming on her face.

Her gaze moved over to the clock, sighing softly. Just after six. Four hours asleep—two being before he showed up—and a broken boy definitely didn't equal a good work day. She was going to have to figure out a way to get out from under him and get her phone from her bedroom so that she could start making some calls to find a substitute.

She lightly scratched her fingernails over his scalp, letting out a deep breath. She suddenly felt more of an attachment to him. Maybe it was because she felt like she knew him. He wasn't as big of a mystery to her anymore.

Haley really didn't want to wake him up, because he definitely looked like he needed the rest. She touched over the dark circles under his eyes, letting out a deep breath. Their time apart had been difficult for her as well. It was almost painful every time she ignored one of his phone calls, or his text messages. She had to force herself from grabbing the phone and answering as quickly as she could.

"Nathan." She whispered, shaking him lightly. She smiled down at him when he shifted slightly. "Hey, Nathan..."

Nathan lifted up his head after a few seconds, looking around with a confused expression. His eyes met hers, a small smile forming on his face. "Hey." He responded, his voice hoarse.

"I need to get my phone so I can call someone to sub my classes today." She said softly, brushing her fingers through his hair. "If you want you can come lay down on my bed."

"Oh, no... That's okay." He said, clearing his throat and sitting up slowly, rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry."

"Come on, you dork." Haley said, standing up, grabbing onto his hand, tugging on it until he stood up. She held onto his hand, pulling him down the hall towards her bedroom.

Nathan couldn't help but smirk slightly as she pulled him down the hall and into her room. He looked over at her, "Your couch is comfortable enough..."

"Stop it." She said, squeezing his hand. "You should get some more sleep." She said, nodding at the bed. She let go of his hand, picking up her phone off her nightstand. "And I will be right back."

He nodded, watching her leave the room, letting out a deep breath and sitting down on the edge of her bed. He pushed his hand through his hair, smiling slightly. He felt lighter. There was less weight on his shoulders now that she knew. The fact that she now knew all about his crazy life and wanted to help him work through it had to mean something special. He felt a little bad for waking her up in the middle of the night, and that she felt the need to call out of work today. But she was doing it for him...

He listened to the rain, smiling again, doing as she had demanded he did, moving to climb under the covers of her bed. He looked around the room, pushing his hand through his hair, settling back against the pillow behind his head. This was weird, but... A good weird.

Haley came back into the room a few minutes later, smiling slightly at the sight of Nathan asleep in her bed. This was moving fast, she never ever would've done this with any other guy... But it was Nathan, and it felt right.

She let out a deep breath, climbing into bed next to him, setting her phone on the nightstand once again. She glanced over at him, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest.

After a minutes of silence, she heard him speak.

"Did you find someone?" He asked her quietly, clearing his throat.

"Yeah, I did." She responded, smiling slightly. "Guess I get to stay home with you today."

"Good choice." He chuckled, keeping his eyes closed, letting out a deep breath. "I guess this means you can be my girlfriend now, huh?"

She laughed, looking over at him, pushing on his arm lightly. "Go back to sleep, Nathan. You need it." She said, rolling her eyes.

Nathan blinked his eyes open, looking over at her, before rolling onto his side, propping his head up. "Something you should know about me," He began, smirking at her. "I can function on no sleep whatsoever."

"Yeah, well I can't." She said, reaching her hand out a grabbing onto the front of his shirt. "So now you have to let me sleep."

"Alright." He said, falling onto his back. "I'm like a heater though, so if you need me to start stripping, let me know." He hummed, winking at her, before rolling onto his side so that he was facing away from her.

She laughed, resting her hand on his back for a brief moment, shaking her head. It amazed her how quickly he bounced back from their conversation last night to this flirty, 'how do you like your eggs in the morning?' kind of guy. And she hoped that it wasn't an act. Partly because she loved it, but also because she didn't want him to feel the need to act around her.

Now that she knew most everything about him, there was going to be literally nothing stopping her from throwing herself at him, all over him.

His girlfriend comment definitely got her heart going.

She looked over at him once again, rubbing her neck lightly. She liked the way he looked laying next to her. A lot.

She let out a deep breath, glancing at him once more before shutting her eyes. She allowed herself to relax, and tried to keep her mind off the big, strong, handsome man sleeping next to her.

As if she could ever keep her mind off him.

xxxx

Nathan blinked his eyes open, looking around the unfamiliar room. He stretched his arms out, lifting his head up quickly when his hand touched Haley, looking over at her quickly.

"What?" Haley asked him, taking a bite of her cereal, raising her eyebrows and looking down at him.

He sat up quickly, looking around, a grin forming on his face, before his gaze connected with hers. "Is that Cap'n Crunch?" He asked her, nodding at the bowl in her hand.

"Yeah." Haley laughed, smiling over at him.

"Did you sleep at all?" He asked her, flattening his hand over his hair.

"It's one o'clock, Nathan." She pointed out, nodding at the clock on her bedside table.

"Wow." Nathan said, letting out a deep breath and leaning back against the headboard. "How long have you been awake?"

"Since about noon." She informed him, pushing her hand through her hair, setting her bowl on the nightstand next to her, looking over at him.

"This is weird, huh?" He asked, chuckling quietly, looking around her room, before his gaze met hers once again.

"Maybe a little." She responded, reaching over and picking up his hand. "But it doesn't have to be."

He half smiled at her, scooting closer to her, giving her hand a light squeeze. "I'm sorry, Haley." He said softly.

She raised her eyebrows, frowning at him. "For what?" She asked him, shrugging.

"For a lot of things. Sorry it took me so long to open up. It's just... Hard to think about." Nathan responded, shrugging his shoulders.

"I know that I wanted information, Nathan. But I get it. It can be hard to open up." She said softly, "I mean... We haven't really known each other for that long. I'd hardly count the one day we met a million years ago."

He laughed, nodding his head. "I was a mess without you." He said, sighing softly. "I don't know what you've done to me."

"Oh, whatever." Haley responded, bringing his hand to her lips, pressing a soft kiss to his knuckles. "You should've seen me. I was the meanest teacher in the whole school this past week."

He grinned at her, scooting closer to her yet again, letting out a deep breath. "You didn't answer any of my messages."

"I needed the time, and you needed the time." She said simply, resting her head against his shoulder. "I'm sorry, but it worked."

"Yeah." He grumbled, dropping her hand and wrapping his arm around her. "Now here I am, cuddling with you in your bed. I never cuddle with anyone. I'm more of a get in, get out kind of guy."

"Oh, gross." Haley groaned, smacking his chest, snuggling herself further into his side. "I'm glad you can make an exception for me."

"Baby, I'd make any exception for you." He said, smirking slightly, letting out a deep breath. "I think that might have been the best night of sleep I've gotten in my life."

"Stop it." She laughed, shaking her head. "You're going to make me regret it if you keep making jokes."

"Impossible. No one ever regrets a night with me." He teased her, kissing the top of her head.

"That's it, get out." Haley joked, gripping onto his shirt so that he wouldn't actually leave her.

Nathan looked down at her, sending her a lazy smile. He was serious. He felt very refreshed. Maybe it was that he opened up to her, or maybe it was just spending the night this intimately with her. She was so amazing. "Got you skipping work, just imagine what I could've gotten you to do in high school." He said, brushing his fingers down her shoulder.

"Imagine what I could've gotten you to do. Maybe study or something along those lines." She hummed, shrugging her shoulders.

"I studied exactly enough to pass my classes." He informed her, shaking his head. "You would've been a distraction. Or maybe I would've distracted you."

"As if. I was valedictorian, I didn't get distracted." She argued, shaking her head. "I had my eye on the prize."

"I was the prize in high school, trust me." He said, his hand lifting from her shoulder, toying with her hair lightly.

"I don't doubt it." She said, rolling her eyes. "I made out with you for like five minutes, I had a glimpse of victory."

"You haven't even seen my a-game." He assured her, smirking slightly, looking down at her.

Haley looked up at him, meeting his his eyes, a small smile forming on her face. She liked what she saw. His eyes seemed lighter, and more blue. He really did look much happier.

"Lord help me if that's true." She responded, biting her lip and winking at him, before shifting her gaze away from his eyes.

Nathan let out a deep breath, pushing his hand through his hair. "Are you okay?" He asked her, leaning back.

She looked up at him once again, nodding quickly. "I'm great." She said, raising her hand and touching it to his cheek. "Are you okay?"

He let out a small sigh, weighing the options in his head, before answering her.

"I think so." He hummed, smiling slightly. "Thank you for being patient, Haley James."

She nodded, brushing her fingers on the light stubble growing on his face that she assumed had not been shaved since he left her apartment a few days ago. "Thank you for telling me, Nathan." She whispered, pressing a delicate kiss to his cheek.

Nathan nodded, closing his eyes and resting his head against hers. "Tell me something about yourself."

"What do you want to know?" She asked him softly, resting her hand on his stomach.

"Anything." He responded, brushing his fingertips over her shoulder and arm, shrugging slightly.

Haley smiled, letting out a deep breath. "My middle name is Bob." She admitted to him.

Nathan blinked his eyes open quickly, sitting up a bit straighter, looking down at her. "What?"

"I'm not going to say it again." She groaned, covering her face.

"Are you serious?" He asked her, smirking at her.

"I don't want to talk about it, but now you know." She said, shaking her head and pushing on his back lightly.

"Haley Bob James." He said, laughing quietly. "That's good." He said, winking at her. "I like it."

"Shut up." She groaned, letting out a deep breath. "My parents are weird."

"I think it gives you character." He sent her a dopey, half smile, nodding his head. "It's very unique."

"Oh, whatever." She said, crossing her arms and standing up.

"Hey, where are you going?" He asked her, frowning slightly.

"I'm just going to put my bowl in the dishwasher." She said, glancing over at him. "Do you want anything?"

He shook his head, standing up and stretching his arms across his body, shifting slightly, shoving his hands into his pockets, looking down.

She raised her eyebrows, looking over him. He looked almost... Embarrassed. She cleared her throat, nodding at him. "What?" She asked slowly.

Nathan looked up at her, sighing softly. "This is going to sound so dumb and cliche." He said, scratching the back of his head. "But really all I want is a hug." He said quietly, covering his face. "Did my voice sound like a fifteen year old girl when I said that? Forget it."

Haley smiled sweetly at him, watching as his cheeks turned red. Her heart melted at him. He was like a little puppy.

She set the bowl down, and hurried to him, wrapping her arms around his torso tightly, nuzzling her face into the crook of his neck, gripping his shirt lightly.

He looked down at her, letting out a sigh of relief, pressing his face into her hair. He wrapped his arms around here, closing his eyes.

This was what he wanted. This made him feel safe.

Haley lightly scratched her fingernails up and down his back, smiling at him. "You don't have to ask me, Nathan. I'm more than happy to hug you." She chuckled, pressing a delicate, almost nonexistent kiss to the skin on his neck.

He smirked, holding her tighter against him, kissing her forehead, before resting his chin on the top of her head.

He could stand there all day, and he really meant it. She was so different than any person he'd me before. He needed her, craved to be close to her. She brought him out of the state of depression he'd been in since the night his mother passed away.

He wanted to be the best version of himself for her.

He parted from her first, sensing that she quite literally would have stood there all day with him, if that was what he needed.

He tucked her hair behind her ear gently, smiling at her. "Do you mind if I take another shower?"

"Go right ahead." She responded, nodding at him. "I'm going to go find something to eat."

He kinked his eyebrow, a small grin forming on his face as his eyes flicked over to the bowl she was previously holding.

She pushed on his shoulder, shaking her head. "For you, jerk." She said, laughing. "And for me. So what?"

He held his hands up defensively, laughing. "I didn't say anything."

"Yeah, I saw it in your eyes." She said, shaking her head. "Go take your shower." She grumbled, picking up the bowl once again, walking out of the room.

xxxx

"Tell me something else about you." Nathan said quietly, picking up the TV remote, turning down the volume, tossing it away. His hand found hers, interlacing their fingers, a small smile forming on his face.

"What do you want to know? I feel like I've been a pretty open book." Haley responded, giving his hand a light squeeze, looking at him.

"Tell me about this Chris guy." He said, nodding at her, letting out a deep breath.

"Asking about exes?" She chuckled, shaking her head. "What do you want to know about him?"

"Whatever you're willing to tell me." He responded, brushing his thumb over her hand.

"Well..." Haley trailed off, leaning back against the couch. "We met shortly after I graduated from Stanford, and moved back to Tree Hill." She informed him, letting out a deep breath. "I was with one of my friends from high school, and we decided to go out for the night. And it just so happened that Chris was performing there, that night." She began, looking over at him.

He nodded in response, suppressing the feeling of jealously that overcame him. She was sitting there with him, not with Chris. Next to him. He had no reason to be jealous of the past.

"And he was good, but nothing that really overwhelmed me." She said simply, "But then, the lights went kind of low, and he covered this song, Missing You. And it was like everyone around me went quiet. I could feel his heart being poured into that song. There was noise, but I could only hear him. So I saw him at the bar later that night, and told him he did amazing. I was a little put off at first, because our first conversation, he made it seem like he walked on water. But when I started to leave, he called after me, and thanked me, and I don't know, we just started talking." She said, shrugging her shoulders.

"He lives in Tree Hill?" Nathan asked her, frowning slightly.

"No, he lives about an hour away from here. He just plays sets in Tree Hill sometimes." Haley informed him, letting out a deep breath. "It was weird, because I didn't even want to like him at first. I thought he was an arrogant ass, and not in a cute way like I thought you were when I met you. He genuinely thought he was a gift to this earth." She said, shaking her head. "I was just drawn to him. Seeing someone do something that they're passionate about, following their dreams... It's admirable."

He nodded in response, smiling slightly. "Can't argue with that."

"At first it was more casual, when he played in Tree Hill, I'd go watch him, or when he played near Tree Hill, I'd drive over and watch him. We would just spend the night talking. There were some nights that I didn't get home until three in the morning. Of course, I was just hired at Tree Hill, and was teaching summer school at this time, so it didn't happen often." She said, shaking her head.

"You stayed out late?" He asked, smirking slightly. "I didn't know you had it in you."

"Hey now." She laughed, rolling her eyes. "I wasn't partying, I was purely there to watch Chris."

"I'd like to see your party side, Haley James. I'm sure you get wild." He said, smirking at her.

"Oh, I'm sure that you won't want to see me drunk. I get talkative, and sometimes I can't stop saying random facts that no one cares about at all." She laughed, shaking her head. "I only let Brooke get me drunk."

"We'll see about that." He said, winking at her. "So, keep going."

"I feel a little weird telling you this story. Anyways, one thing led to another, and instead of being Chris Keller's groupie that followed him around, I became his girlfriend." Haley informed him, shrugging. "I don't know what it was about him, I still don't. He was self centered, talked about himself in third person. But I had fun with him. He made me happy, and despite what everyone else told me, and he was a jerk to everyone else, I cared about him."

"Did you love him?" Nathan asked her quickly, looking over at her.

"I loved him, yes." Haley confirmed. "But he wasn't great to me. There were times when he was the picture perfect boyfriend, exactly what I needed. But the majority of the time, he was an ass. He expected me to follow him to his shows, and would tell me that if I loved him, I would do it. He never cheated on my, not that I know of, anyways. But he was openly flirty with anyone that would flirt with him, or compliment his music. And eventually, I just got tired of it, y'know? Him crawling into my bed at six in the morning, then complaining when I had to get up and go to work, it was annoying. I knew my worth, and I definitely deserved better than him, it just took me a little over a year to figure it out." She said, squeezing his hand. "I don't know if I would say that I was in love with him, but I cared about him a lot, and I had some type of love for him, I just deserve better than him. It might sound crazy, but I want the guy that holds doors open, that gives me butterflies every time he walks into the room. I want the partnership, and the respect. The love. I want to look down the road in fifteen years, and still feel the same feelings. I want to be weak in the knees. I'm not looking for a Prince Charming, I'm looking for someone that I can appreciate, and someone that will appreciate me right back."

Nathan was in awe. He felt himself staring at her in awe, and told himself that he needed to look away before he stared for too long. She knew what she deserved. She was strong, and admirable. And he was in awe.

Haley shifted slightly under his intense gaze, her cheeks tinting pink. "What?" She asked him quietly.

"You deserve it. All of it." He said quietly, raising her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckle. "You're amazing, Haley. And you deserve the love that you're looking for. Don't settle for anything less."

She smiled at him, biting her lip. "Thank you." She said softly, moving her hand from his, letting it rest on his cheek.

Within a second, his forehead was resting against hers, each of their eyes closed tightly.

Haley couldn't help the thought that passed her mind. They fit well. Who knows, maybe he's the one for her. The feelings were definitely developing quickly.

A knock on the door broke them apart, causing each of them to let out a sigh.

"That's probably the food. Remind me not to order in anymore." Haley chuckled, standing up slowly.

As she suspected, it was the Chinese food they'd ordered. She returned with a second later, sitting down on the couch, setting the boxes on the coffee table in front of her.

"So tell me something, Haley James. Do you still talk to Chris?" Nathan asked her, shifting himself slightly so he was facing her, his arm landing on the back of the couch behind her.

"I've talked to him a few times since we broke up." Haley confirmed, nodding her head. "About nothing, really."

Nathan already knew that. A little bit of glancing at her phone when it went off told him that she still had contact with him.

He nodded his head, clearing his throat. "You don't still-"

"Hell no." Haley answered before he could finish his question. "I had a box of his stuff in my closet, I've been nagging him to come get it. He finally did two days ago."

So she'd seen him recently too.

"How's he doing?" He asked her, nodding his head.

Haley laughed, resting her hand on Nathan's leg for a moment. "Nathan, stop it." She said, shaking her head. "I didn't ask him how he was doing, he showed up, I handed him his stuff and that was it. Now stop with the subtle jealous questions." She scolded him.

"Sorry." He said, shrugging his shoulders. "For the record, I am jealous." He said, smirking slightly. "I'm jealous of every person that you've ever dated. Just putting that out there."

She sent him a small smile, blushing once again at his words. "What about you, Nathan Scott? Can I ask you some of the questions you've been asking me?"

"This is where I would tread lightly, Hales. I'm not sure you want to hear about all the skeletons in my closet." He chuckled, shaking his head.

"Come on, Nathan. I told you about Chris." She said, nudging him lightly.

"I'll let you ask me one question." He responded, leaning back and looking at her.

"Okay." Haley tapped her chin, opening one of the boxes, shifting so that she was facing him on the couch, crossing her legs. "How many?"

"Except that question. Pick a different one." He chuckled, looking at her and shaking his head quickly.

"Fine." She laughed, tilting her head to the side, looking down at her food. "Why?"

"Why what?" He questioned her, leaning forward and picking up his food as well, setting it in his lap.

"Why are there so many?" She asked him, shrugging slightly. "What's the reason behind it?"

He raised his eyebrows, shrugging his shoulders slightly. "I don't know, Hales... I'm not sure this is a conversation we should be having."

"Why not?" She asked him, shrugging slightly. "It's okay, really."

"I don't know why, Haley." He sighed, shrugging. "Maybe it made me feel cool that all of these girls were willing to throw themselves at me. I'm a jackass, I didn't care about them or their feelings." He said, pushing his hand through his hair.

"For the record, I don't think you're a jackass. Maybe you've made some questionable decisions, but I think you're a great guy, Nathan." She said softly, smiling at him.

"I'm not, but I'm trying to be better for you." He said, nodding at her and letting out a deep breath. "That's your one question."

She laughed, rolling her eyes. "Fine, fine." She said, sticking her tongue out at him.

He looked at her, grinning slightly and shaking his head, letting out a deep breath. "Can I tell you a secret?" He asked her.

Haley nodded, raising her eyebrows at him. "Of course." She informed him, smiling slightly.

He leaned over, his lips barely grazing her ear, "I think that you're the most beautiful, amazing woman I've ever laid eyes on." He whispered to her.

Her eyes fluttered shut, and she felt herself tense up slightly. How was she supposed to not grab his face and kiss him senseless after he said sweet things like that to her? It was a wonder how she lasted this long without doing it.

"Thank you." She responded, biting down on her lip, letting out a deep breath.

He smirked at her, leaning back and glancing towards the sliding glass door that led out to her balcony. "I can't believe it's been raining all day."

"I like it." She said, shrugging. "There's something cosy about the sky being dark, and the sound of the rain pouring." She informed him, smiling.

He looked at her, holding out his hand to her. "Well, do you want to go outside?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

She laughed, shaking her head. "Maybe another time. It's been pretty cold here recently." She said, looking down at her food.

He looked at her, raising his eyebrows. "It's been in the fifties, Haley. That's not that cold."

"Shut up." She laughed, pushing on his arm lightly. "I happen to think that's freezing."

"Are you always cold?" He asked her, laughing quietly. "Because any time I'm around you, you seem to be complaining about the cold weather."

"It's usually warm here!" She protested, rolling her eyes. "And I complained in New York. Where it was snowing and freezing."

"I grew up in California, Haley. You don't hear me complaining." He said, smirking slightly.

"You've lived in New York for awhile, so whatever." Haley grumbled, poking at his food with her fork.

He laughed, looking at her and letting out a deep breath. "Okay." He chuckled in response, shaking his head.

After a few minutes, she set her food on the coffee table, stretching out her previously crossed legs across his lap, scooting closer to him.

Nathan looked down at her legs, then up at her face, raising his eyebrows.

"Maybe you can start keeping me warm." She said, letting her hand come to rest on the back of his neck.

Nathan almost did a double take at her words, pausing for a moment to let them run through his mind again, to make sure he heard her correctly. He looked down at her, a small smirk forming on his face. He definitely heard her correctly.

"I did tell you earlier that I'm like a heater." He reminded her, shrugging his shoulders. "I did also tell you earlier that you could be my girlfriend, if you want."

She laughed, lightly scratching his fingernails over his neck. "You really are something else, Nathan Scott." She said, nodding at him.

"Hey, you started it." He reminded her, resting his hand on her shin. He leaned forward, grabbing two fortune cookies, setting one in her hand.

She looked at him, smiling slightly, letting out a deep breath. "Fortune cookies have always been my favorite part, I'm not going to lie."

"You know, I've learned that you have quite the sweet tooth, Haley James." He chuckled, opening up the wrapper and breaking the cookie in half. He briefly read over the fortune inside, a smirk forming on his face.

"You're a master of your craft—in bed." He said, his chest puffing out a bit. "Well, y'know. Pretty true."

"It doesn't say that." Haley said quickly, shaking her head. "No way it says that. Anyone could've opened it, even a kid. It doesn't say that." She said, leaning forward and reading it.

"Okay, you caught me. But you can add 'in bed' to any fortune and it works every time." He said, nodding at the cookie in her hands.

She raised her eyebrows at him, laughing quietly, opening up her cookie and reading the fortune inside. "Prepare for an unexpected change in bed." She read out loud, looking up at him and smirking slightly.

"Huh. Would you look at that." Nathan said, looking over at her. "You're being a tease, Haley, I hope you know that."

"Oh, I do." She responded, moving her legs off his lap, shifting herself on the couch so that she was tucked into his side. She grabbed the remote, turning the volume back up on the TV.

xxxx

Nathan looked down at her as the credits rolled through on the second movie they'd spent their time watching.

He chuckled quietly, brushing his fingertips over her shoulder, pressing a delicate kiss to the top of her head.

"I guess I should get going." He said, letting out a deep breath, standing up slowly, walking over to the light switch, flicking it on.

"Go where?" Haley asked him, frowning and looking up at him.

"Y'know... See if that motel has any rooms left." He said, shrugging and clearing his throat.

"You can stay here." She informed him quietly, standing up and nodding at him.

"No, that's okay." He said, chuckling. "I don't want to invade your space anymore than I already have."

"What if I want you to stay here?" She suggested, stepping over to him. "With me."

He looked down at her, raising his eyebrows and clearing his throat. "Really, Haley... You don't need to feel obligated..."

"I don't." She responded, letting out a deep breath. "Nathan, I want you to stay. I've always wanted you to stay." She informed him. "I just needed to know you."

He glanced at the door, feeling a little torn in this situation. He wanted to stay. So desperately. But his brain was telling him to leave. Not leave her, just get out of this apartment. He didn't want to do anything that would ruin his chances with her, and spending the night, to Haley, was probably a big step. Then again, maybe they'd be a little further down the line if he would've opened himself up to her.

He let out a deep breath, meeting her eyes once again, nodding. "If that's what you want."

"Don't offer to take the couch either, Nathan. I don't want to practically have to beg you to stay with me." She chuckled, brushing her fingers over his chin.

Nathan smiled at her, nodding his head. "I'm taking you on a date tomorrow." He informed her, reaching up and tucking her hair behind her ear. "I was going to offer today, but I didn't know what you told your sub, so I didn't want you to be caught in a lie."

She smiled up at him, biting her lip and nodding. Technically, she would say they'd already been on a lot of dates. Hell, if she had not been stubborn about learning more about him, they'd probably be quite a bit further in their relationship than they were right now.

"Sound pretty confident there, Scott?" She said, poking his chest lightly.

"I am." He responded, winking at her. "Is that okay?"

"Works for me." She laughed, letting out a deep breath. "You can go if you want, but I wouldn't mind if you stayed."

"If you want me to, I will." He assured her, letting out a deep breath. He raised his hand, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I don't want to take advantage of your hospitality."

Haley smiled at him, nodding at him. "Nathan, I like you. You know that, don't you?" She informed him. "I mean... I like you a lot. I know I'm being forward. But I want you to stay with me."

"This isn't pity, is it?" He asked her, clearing his throat, shoving his hands into his pockets.

She frowned at him, shaking her head quickly. "Of course not, Nathan." She said, grabbing onto his arm. "I guess maybe I get it now. Why Clay is so protective of you. I know I haven't known you as long, but... I just want to comfort you, and let you know that the world isn't as screwed up as you think it is." She said softly, tugging on his arm, backing up towards her room. "Is that okay?"

"Yeah." He responded, sending her a small smile. "I guess that I can handle that."

He let out a deep breath, feeling his heart pound in his chest. She was so different than anyone he's ever met. He felt better when he looked at her. She made him feel... Protected. It blew his mind how quickly his feelings were developing for her.

He changed quickly in the bathroom, while she changed in her bedroom. While they were brushing their teeth, they would glance at each other, a small smile forming on each of their faces.

Getting into bed next to each other was a little awkward, to say the least.

They weren't a couple, so neither of them really knew if they could cuddle up next to each other. Granted, they'd sort of shared a bed the night before, but this just felt different.

Nathan gave into the desire first, rolling onto his side so that he was facing her, draping his arm across her, a small smile forming on his face.

It was odd, but Haley felt herself relax into his touch. It felt intimate, being cuddled up next to him. He'd told her earlier that he wasn't into it, and she believed him, yet here he was. Chris hadn't been into it that much either, so it wasn't very often that she felt the protection of someone holding her, and the fact that Nathan wasn't even her boyfriend, she surprised herself a little bit how willing she was to let him surround her.

She felt safe knowing he was there.

She could tell that he felt it too.

They brought safety and comfort to each other.


	16. Chapter 16

**So sorry this took me so long to write, I was having some writers block on this chapter. I'm happy with how it turned out though!**

 **Chapter 16**

Haley instinctively reached out her hand at the sound of a phone vibrating on the nightstand in front of her.

Keeping her eyes shut tightly, she held the phone up to her ear.

"Hello?" She whispered into it.

"Well you aren't Nathan."

Haley blinked her eyes open quickly, lifting the phone off her ear and looking at it. This definitely wasn't her phone.

Her cheeks turned slightly red as she glanced over her shoulder at the sleeping man next to her.

Somehow, they'd ended up with her back pressed against his chest, his arm draped over her waist, tugging her body in close to his.

"Hello?"

Right, the phone. The voice sounded like Lucas. Should she wake up Nathan? This was awful.

"Sorry, I, um... Thought it was my phone." Haley responded, clearing her throat.

"Is Nathan there?" Lucas asked, chuckling quietly.

"He's asleep." She informed him quietly, glancing at Nathan once again.

She felt awkward. So, so awkward.

"Is this Haley?" Lucas asked, letting out a deep breath.

"Yeah." Haley responded, brushing her fingers up Nathan's forearm lightly.

"It's Lucas." He informed her, laughing. "If you didn't already know."

"I guessed that." Haley responded, shaking her head. "Sorry, I heard Nathan's phone vibrating, I didn't even think about it. I thought it was mine."

"Figures. I was in shock that Nathan actually answered my call." Lucas laughed, sighing softly.

Haley frowned slightly at his words, glancing over at Nathan once again. He looked so peaceful.

"Seems like things are going well with you two." Lucas teased her.

Haley smiled, laughing quietly. "You could say that, I guess." She said, leaning back against Nathan.

"Clay told me he's been in Tree Hill for awhile." He said, letting out a small sigh. "Peyton also told me she met you."

Haley's heart felt for Lucas, it really did. She could tell that he was worried about his younger brother, but Nathan didn't seem to care. Based on what Lucas just told her, she was assuming he got all his information about Nathan from other people.

"Yeah, she seems nice." Haley said slowly, letting out a deep breath.

"I kinda thought he came back to New York, but I must have been mistaken." Lucas said into the phone.

"He was for a few days, but now he's back in Tree Hill." She informed him, smiling slightly.

"Cool, cool." Lucas said, letting out a deep breath. "Well, I better go. I have a meeting in twenty minutes, and I haven't even gotten out of bed yet." He chuckled, "Can you have Nathan give me a call?"

"Yeah, for sure." Haley responded, "I'll pass on the message to him. Sorry about answering his phone."

"Don't worry about it. It was good talking to you, Haley." Lucas said, smiling slightly. "Keep him in check."

"I'll do my best. Bye, Lucas." Haley hummed into the phone, hanging it up and setting it on the nightstand. She felt Nathan tug her closer to him, glancing over her shoulder at him.

She glanced over at the clock. It was only eight, and despite what he said about not needing sleep the day prior, she suspected that if given the chance, he would sleep all day.

She needed to figure out a way to get out from under his arm. He was holding her so tightly to him. And, like he'd said, he was so warm.

Whatever. She could just go back to sleep. He was like a blanket wrapping around her, it wouldn't be that difficult. With one last glance at the clock, she brushed her fingers up his forearm, closing her eyes and letting out a deep breath, easily slipping back into her previous sleeping state.

xxxx

Nathan pushed his hand through his hair, glancing at the mixture in the bowl, before shifting his gaze to the recipe on his phone.

"This definitely doesn't look like pancakes." He said, pushing around the lumpy mixture with the whisk in his hand.

After searching through Haley's cupboards, and not finding any of the box mix, he bravely decided that he would attempt to make her some breakfast. And it was not going well.

He'd been up for the challenge originally, but now he wasn't too sure. How the hell did Clay do this? Or anyone that had ever followed a recipe to make pancakes?

He let a frustrated sigh, leaning against the countertop. He read over the recipe again, shaking his head.

"This is stupid." He grumbled, glancing towards the door. He could easily go to the store and pick up some pancake mix, or maybe go to a restaurant and get her something to eat.

He ran yet another frustrated hand through his hair, rolling his eyes, dropping the whisk in the glass bowl, crossing his arms.

He'd never made breakfast for a girl before. Sometimes in college he would let them stay and eat breakfast, but he never put forth the effort. This was embarrassing. He sucked at this. Of course he sucked at this. Why the hell did he think he could do this?

He could've just stayed in bed next to her. But no. He had to try something new for a girl that her really liked. If cooking skills were a must have, she would be kicking him to the curb.

"What are you doing?" Her voice sounded behind him, causing his whole body to stiffen up.

"I'd rather not say." Nathan responded, glancing over his shoulder at her.

Haley smiled, stepping up next to him, looking up at his face. "You're making..."

"Something that looks similar to cottage cheese." He grumbled, rolling his eyes.

She looked down at the bowl, moving her hand to rest on his back.

This was sweet. It warmed her heart to see him standing in the kitchen, attempting to make breakfast.

"Don't look at me." He said, turning his head away from hers.

He was blushing. It caused her smile to grow. He was so cute.

"I'm not looking at you." She said, rubbing his back lightly.

He looked back down at her, meeting her gaze and rolling his eyes again. "You are looking at me."

"You're making me breakfast?" She asked him, looking down at the bowl once again.

"No, I'm making myself breakfast." He grumbled, letting out a deep breath.

Haley poked his side lightly, watching him flinch away from her. She raised her eyebrows, a grin forming on her face. "What was that?"

"Don't, Haley." He said, shaking his head, stepping away from the countertop.

"Are you ticklish?" She asked him curiously, stepping closer to him.

"No." He answered quickly, squeezing his eyes shut. Convincing.

She pinched his side lightly, laughing as he jumped away from her once again.

"Haley, I'm warning you." He said, shaking his head. "I'm not ticklish."

She grabbed onto his t-shirt, pulling him closer to her, before beginning to tickle his sides.

Nathan jumped and squirmed away from her, grabbing her hands. "Haley." He whined, shaking his head. "Don't."

She laughed, looking up at him. "Alright, alright. I'm done for now, but we'll see what happens later."

He scowled at her, "What about you? Are you ticklish?"

She looked at him, shaking her head. "No, not really." She hummed, shrugging.

He reached his hand out, tickling her side, frowning when she did nothing.

"Seriously? There's no way." He said, looking down at her. "Everyone is ticklish. I'm going to figure this out."

She rolled her eyes, laughing. "Okay, you have fun with that." She said, turning back to his pancake batter. "Do you need some help?"

"Yes." He responded, sighing softly. "This is embarrassing, Haley, okay? So please, don't say anything about it."

She smiled at him, winding her arm around his waist, tugging herself into his side. "I think it's sweet."

"I can make box pancakes, I swear." He said, nodding his head quickly.

"Good to know." She hummed. After a moment of hesitating, she stood up on her toes, pressing a delicate kiss to his cheek. "I appreciate the effort, Nathan."

"Yeah, well..." He smiled at her, glancing down at the glass bowl. "Pancakes." He said, clearing his throat. "Show me how it's done, Chef Haley. And don't worry, we'll be going out to dinner tonight. I won't be cooking anything."

"Oh, good. I was worried." She said sarcastically, bumping her elbow into his side.

He looked down at her, his smile growing wider. He liked waking up with her in his arms, standing in the kitchen with her. He liked spending time with her.

"What?" She asked him, picking up the whisk and looking down at the bowl again.

"You're just very, very beautiful." He said, winking at her. "You capture my attention easily."

She blushed at his words, keeping her gaze from his. "Thank you." She said softly.

He nodded, shifting himself so that he was standing behind her, instead of next to her.

"So, uh, pancakes?"

xxxx

Haley rolled her eyes as the doorbell buzzed, shaking her head and smiling slightly.

Nathan had finished getting ready ten minutes prior, in the same apartment as her, but he insisted that he go outside and walk around the block a couple of times so that he could "pick her up" for their date.

One one hand, it technically wasn't their first date, by any means. The two weeks that he'd spent in Tree Hill prior, they'd gone out on what could be considered a date, several times. And they went on what she considered two dates in New York, and then what he considered three dates in California several years ago.

On the other hand, this one was different. Those had been build fairly casual dates, spending time together, getting to know each other. Him getting to know her, actually. But now she was getting to know him. Those dates she'd held back, but on this date, well... She wouldn't mind if it ended in a little bit of making out on her couch afterwards.

Her cheeks turned slightly red at the thought, shaking her head and hurrying to get the door, pulling it open.

"Wow." Nathan said, his eyes briefly grazing over her. He'd seen her before he'd left her apartment, but he still felt so... Happy seeing her again.

"Right back at you." Haley said, smiling up at him, letting out a deep breath.

"These..." He over her again, swallowing. He suddenly felt nervous. He glanced down at the flowers in his hand, before looking at her face. "These are for you." He said, holding them out to her.

She looked at them, taking them from him slowly. "Thank you." She said softly, deciding not to ask him where he got them. "Let me put these in water, and then we can go. Come in."

He nodded, stepping inside the house, looking around. "Nice place you've got here. I've never seen anything quite like it." He commented, smirking at her.

She laughed, searching around until she found a vase, putting some water in it, setting the flowers in it carefully.

She looked up at him, walking to the closet, pulling out a jacket for herself to wear.

Nathan rushed forward, taking it from her quickly, helping her put it on. "Allow me."

She looked over her shoulder at him, smiling slightly. "Why, thank you."

"Of course." He said, walking to the front door, pulling it open. "Ready?"

"I'm ready." She said, looking up at him and nodding her head, stepping outside.

He followed her, shutting the door behind himself, waiting as she locked it, before offering his arm out to her.

She linked her arm through his, gripping into his bicep lightly. "You're already being quite the date."

"I try." He said, chuckling quietly, leading her down the stairs of the apartment complex, glancing over her. "You look great, Hales."

"Thank you, Nathan. You look very nice as well." She informed him, giving his arm a small squeeze.

"I'm glad you waited until I left to put on the dress. I like it. Not too formal, not too casual." He said, clearing his throat. "Was that a stupid thing to say?"

"No, not at all. That's what I was going for." She laughed, smiling at him.

He nodded, letting out a sigh of relief, leading her towards the car that he'd had dropped off here.

Haley raised her eyebrows, looking up at him. "That's not the car you rented last time." She said, clearing her throat.

"They, uh, didn't have it." He said, shrugging, leading her to the passenger side or the black sports car, pulling it open. "Not really. Maybe I just want to show off a little bit. Impress you."

She smiled up at him, touching her hand to his chest briefly, shaking her head. "You didn't have to do that."

"It's useless to have a car like this is New York. Might as well enjoy Tree Hill while I'm here." He said, shrugging.

She nodded, getting into the car slowly, watching him hurry around the car and get in.

He smiled over at her, letting out a deep breath. "You ready?"

She nodded, reaching her hand over, grabbing his in her own, interlacing their fingers. "I'm ready." She responded, smiling at him.

Nathan really was sweeping Haley off her feet. He'd been... Perfect. Charming, kind. He was so easy for her to be around. Ever since he'd showed up at her house the other night, she'd felt so connected with him. It was nice being able to see past his walls. It was nice that she didn't feel like he was holding back.

Following dinner, they'd gone down to the beach, and were currently laying on a blanket in the sand, side by side, with their hands connected in the middle, staring up at the sky.

"I've had a great time tonight, Haley." He said softly, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "An amazing time."

"Me too." She responded, looking over at him, smiling slightly.

"You make me feel safe." He said quietly, keeping his gaze pointing towards the stars. "When I'm with you, it's easy to forget it all."

She moved closer to him, shifting onto her side and resting her head against his chest, smoothing her hand over his stomach. "I'm glad." She said softly, closing her eyes.

They fell into a comfortable silence, Nathan's fingers gently brushing up and down her arm, Haley listening to his steady breathing.

"Every time you order Mac 'n' cheese at a restaurant, it makes me question why I like you so much." He teased her, laughing quietly.

Haley smacked his chest lightly, rolling her eyes. "Oh, shut up. I can order off the kids menu if I want to. If you would just try it one of these days, maybe you'd enjoy it."

"Yeah, okay." He laughed, looking down at her. "You keep on ordering it, Haley James. It's part of who you are."

She glanced up at him, smiling and shaking her head. "You know, you're something else." She said softly. She pressed herself further into his side, her fingers gently fiddling with the buttons on his shirt.

"This is one of the things I like about Tree Hill." She informed him, gesturing around. "The beach isn't crowded. In California, you don't get this silence. The alone time."

"You haven't gone to the right beaches then." He chuckled, looking up at the stars.

"Maybe you'll have to show me the correct ones, then." She laughed, closing her eyes.

"I don't go back to California often." He said, shaking his head. "But I could tell you where to find them if you did decide to go there."

She shook her head, glancing up at him. There was a little bit of that wall again. She brushed her fingers over the collar of his shirt, shaking her head. "We'll see." She hummed. "By the way, this escaped my mind. Lucas called you this morning. I, um... Accidentally picked up your phone."

"You picked up a phone call from Lucas?" He asked her, a grin growing on his face. "Was he so confused?"

"We both were, a little bit." She said, covering her face. "I'm sorry, I didn't know it was your phone. And it was just embarrassing and awkward. He wanted you to call him."

"I will." Nathan responded, brushing his hand over her back. "That's hilarious. What did he say?"

"He just said something along the lines of 'You're not Nathan' and at that point I had no idea if I should hang up, wake you, or just keep talking. We didn't talk for very long." She said, shaking her head. "I like him a lot. I think he seems like a good guy."

"He is a good guy." Nathan said, nodding his head. "He's one of the best guys I know, honestly."

"He said something about how you don't call him back." She trailed off, lifting her head up.

"Hey now, let's not get into this right now." Nathan chuckled, shaking his head. "We'll leave that conversation for a different time. It involves a variety of insecurities and selfishness on my part, and I don't want to get into that side of me tonight."

She looked at him, brushing her fingers up and down his chest, smiling slightly. She pressed a light kiss to his chin.

"For the record, I want to talk about and know every side of you, Nathan Scott." She informed him, nodding.

He chuckled, shaking his head and staring up at the sky. "I like you, Haley James." He informed her, smiling.

She rested her head back on his chest, nodding. "I like you too." She whispered, biting her lip lightly.

He looked down at her, shifting slightly. "Cool." He responded, clearing his throat.

She raised her eyebrows, glancing up at him once again. His eyes were squeezed shut, and he was mouthing the word 'cool' to himself.

"Forget that." He said quickly, sighing softly. "Who says cool after a totally hot girl says that she liked him too?"

She laughed, sitting up slowly, looking down at him. "I think it's cool."

"Don't patronize me." He chuckled, sitting up, looking over at her. "I'm sorry. That was so lame, Haley."

"It wasn't lame, Nathan." She said, shaking her head, resting her hand on his leg.

He smiled at her, wrapping his arm around her, pulling her closer to him. "Can I tell you something?"

"Of course." She responded, nodding up at him.

"That was my first romantic walk on the beach." He admitted to her. "I lived in California for eighteen years, and I've never walked on the beach with anyone."

She smiled at him, resting her hand on his cheek. "Well I've never enjoyed walking on the beach as much as I have tonight."

"Cool." He responded, before grinning at her, rolling his eyes at himself.

She laughed, leaning into his side, resting her head on his shoulder and looking out at the ocean. "I'm sorry for answering your phone this morning."

"I don't mind at all." He chuckled, shaking his head. "I'm sorry for wasting your ingredients."

"I thought it was cute, Nathan." She informed him, letting out a deep breath. "I liked having you next to me last night."

"Me too." He responded, looking down at her. "I like being with you. I hope you're not getting sick of me yet."

"Not at all." She assured him, giving his leg a light squeeze. "I like being with you too."

"I may not be the same guy I was seven years ago, Haley. I wish that I was, but I want you to know that being with you... This is the happiest I've felt in a long time. Maybe ever." He said, clearing his throat.

Haley smiled, lifting her head off his shoulder, looking up at him. "Cool." She responded, before laughing.

He groaned, rolling his eyes. "I was going to kiss you, but you ruined it." He said, laughing quietly.

"Hey, you can still kiss me." She assured him, resting her hand on his cheek, turning his face towards hers.

Nathan smiled at her, his gaze briefly trailing to her lips, before back to her eyes. He shifted himself slightly, resting his hand on her waist, pulling her towards him. Within a second, his lips were on hers.

Haley's eyes fluttered shut, her hand gripping his cheek lightly, pulling him closer to her.

He couldn't help but smile against her mouth. It wasn't heated or overly passionate. It was gentle. The type of kissing that he had not done in quite some. And damn it felt good. If all he could do was kiss her for the rest of his life... He might just be okay with it. The way her fingertips gently brushed down his cheek, one hand falling to his shoulder, pulling him closer to her, while the other drifted to his hair, her fingers tangling the dark hair there. He would give up breathing to keep kissing her.

Haley brushed her fingers through the short hair on the back of his head, pushing herself closer to him, smiling slightly as he smiled, feeling herself lean into him a little bit more. He was giving her so many butterflies, it was so foreign to her. This feeling was so different. She'd felt the flutters before, but right now, it was so different. Honestly, the only other time she'd felt this was seven years ago, and now it was even stronger.

Nathan pulled back, grinning at her. "Wow." He said, smiling at her.

"I believe the word that you were looking for is cool." She teased him, brushing her fingers down his neck, gripping onto the collar of his shirt.

He rolled his eyes, leaning forward and resting his forehead on hers. "It was cool." He reminded her, moving his hand from her waist, stroking her arm lightly. He leaned forward again, pressing his lips to hers once again briefly. "That's good stuff, Haley James."

She laughed, shaking her head at him. "You're too kind." She said, flattening her hand over his chest.

"I can't believe it's taken almost two months to kiss you." He groaned, shifting himself, resting his hands behind him and leaning back on his arms.

She looked up at him, biting her lip lightly. "So... What made you finally decide to do it, Nathan?"

"Kiss you? Well... You told me I could." He said, shrugging slightly.

"Not that. What made you decide to open up to me?" She asked him, brushing her fingers up his bicep.

"You know, Haley... Those few weeks that I didn't talk to you were terrible. But that was my own doing. It was my choice. But when you decided you needed time, it was hell for me. I had known that you were too good for me the whole time, but I was worried that you were finally starting to see it. I saw you slipping away." He said, looking down at the ocean. "I was drinking so much, and it didn't seem to help. I was a jerk to Clay, and he stormed out of my house one day because he was pissed at me. I just felt alone. And I was tired of feeling like that." He said softly, looking down. "The night I showed up at your apartment, I was at the bar that Chase is the manager of, and I was going to make some questionable decisions, but he talked me out of it and let me go lay down in the back room until he got off work." He glanced over at her, sighing softly. "Clay came and picked me up, and I went to his place and talked with him and Quinn. I explained kind of what's been going on, our history and everything. And Clay told me that I needed to forget you, or tell you everything. And for some reason... It didn't seem that complicated when he said that to me. I couldn't forget you, even in my drunkest state, you were on my mind." He said softly, looking down at the blanket.

She smiled slightly, pressing a delicate kiss to his cheek, wrapping her arm around his shoulders. "Thank you." She said quietly, turning his face towards hers, kissing him briefly.

"So, yeah. I told Quinn and Clay. I don't know if it was a secret we were hiding, but I had to get it out for them to understand." He said, smiling down at her.

"I told my friend Brooke." She informed him, brushing her thumb over his cheek.

"Oh, I know." He said, before squeezing his eyes shut.

"You know?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"I, um... Had a little run in with her awhile back." He informed her, clearing his throat.

"What did she say to you?" Haley asked him quickly, frowning.

"Haley..." He sighed softly, shaking down. "It doesn't paint me in a very good light. I have to be talked into things a lot, and I'm tired of being that guy."

"Nathan, what did she say?" She asked him, sighing softly.

"Well, all those weeks I didn't talk to you... She showed up at my house right before I showed up at yours." He said, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, Hales... I didn't know if I should tell you or not."

Haley looked at him, shaking her head. "Brooke doesn't know her place sometimes, I swear..."

"I'm glad she did it." He cut her off, moving his hand to cup her cheek, kissing her once more. "It got us here."

She sighed softly, nodding her head, kissing him again, pulling him closer to her.

Nathan couldn't help it. He smiled against her lips again. He wondered if he'd ever stop doing that.

This kiss didn't last as long, before Haley pulled away, nuzzling her nose against his.

"Okay, I forgive her. And I forgive you for being a jerk and bailing on me." She said, smiling at him.

"Good." He said, tucking her hair behind her ear. He leaned forward, resting his forehead on hers. "I'm having the best time, Hales. Really."

"I'm glad." She said, closing her eyes. She pulled back after a second, looking out at the ocean, smiling slightly.

He brushed his hand up her back lightly, leaning forward, kissing her cheek. "Are you, um... Are you having a good time?" He asked her quietly.

She looked over at him quickly, resting her hand on his leg. "I'm having an amazing time, Nathan." She assured him, nodding.

"Good." He said, letting out a breath of relief, rubbing his neck lightly.

His gaze shifted down quickly as she shivered, mentally kicking himself. Of course she was cold. It was late January. Although they were in North Carolina, the weather had not been the best. Dammit, dammit, dammit.

"What's wrong?" She asked him, frowning slightly, rubbing her hand down his back as he tensed up.

He quickly pulled his jacket off his shoulders, handing it to her. "I've been trying to be perfect, and I completely disregarded the weather... Haley, I'm so sorry."

She raised her eyebrows, laughing quietly. "No, no. Nathan. This has been perfect, I'm sorry. I'm okay." She said, shaking her head.

"I'm sorry." He sighed, looking down, pushing his hand through his hair.

"Nathan." She frowned at him, resting her hand on his bicep.

He was beating himself up over nothing. Seeing him so quickly shift in emotions... It made her emotions shift a little bit. She didn't want him to be upset.

"Why don't we go back to my apartment?" She suggested, sending him a small smile, nudging her elbow into his side. "We can cuddle up on the couch, okay? Away from the cold?"

"Yeah, okay." He said, standing up slowly. He helped her up to her feet, wrapping his jacket around her shoulders, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Sorry."

"Don't apologize, Nathan." She said, nodding at him, helping him gather up the blanket.

He looked at her, sending her a small smile. "Sorry." He said sheepishly.

She nudged him, shaking her head and grabbing onto his hand, biting her lip. "Come on." She said, beginning to tug him back down the beach.

xxxx

"Okay, okay. If you were stuck on an island all by yourself, and you could bring one thing with you, what would you bring?"

After returning home, they'd both changed into more comfortable clothes, curled up next to each other on the couch with ice cream from Haley's freezer and were now asking each other questions.

Nathan leaned back, tilting his head to the side, "Well... I don't know." He said, shaking his head. "I'd want something to keep me entertained. Can I bring you?"

"No." Haley said, shaking her head and laughing. "It has to be an object."

"Well, what would you bring?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows.

"Probably a book." She said, leaning forward, resting her bowl on the coffee table, curling into his side.

"Lame." He said, smiling at her. "I have no clue what I'd bring. What's on the island?"

"Basic living necessities, sand, trees." She said, resting her hand on the back of his neck.

"Shower?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"For the sake of your answer being shower if I say no, then yes. There's a shower." She laughed, leaning forward, pressing a long kiss to his cheek.

"Can I bring a boat and get off of the island?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows.

"No, you're trapped there." She said, tickling her nails over his neck.

"Okay, okay." He sighed, looking over at her. "I couldn't bring a TV, could I?"

"You could, but what if there's no cable?" She asked him, nodding.

"Well, you're the one making the rules." He laughed, winking at her.

"That one is up to chance. Would you risk bringing a TV that might not do anything?" She asked, raising her eyebrows at him.

"Okay. Can I bring jet skis just to mess around? But I can't get off the island?" He asked her, shrugging.

"Yeah, but-" She began.

"Jet skis that are solar powered or something like that, so they don't need gas, before you say anything about it." He said, crossing his arms. "But if I could, I would bring you with me."

"Yeah, whatever." She laughed, brushing the back of her hand down the side of his face.

"My turn." He said, smiling at her. "So... Who was your first kiss?"

"You remember my friend Jake that I was telling you about?" She said softly.

Nathan nodded his head, resting his hand on her leg. "Yes."

"Eighth grade, spin the bottle." She said, nodding at him. "It was wild, you know."

"Oh, I'm sure." He laughed, looking at her. "So, did you like it?"

"Did I like it?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows. "I mean, sure. But I was so embarrassed."

"Interesting." He said, tapping his hand on her leg, tilting his head to the side. "Are you still embarrassed?"

"I think I've kissed enough guys that I'm not embarrassed." She joked, turning his face towards hers, kissing him briefly.

"Enough guys?" He asked her, smirking slightly.

"You already asked a question. Two, really. My turn." She said, letting her hand fall to his shirt collar. "Same question to you."

"My first kiss was you, seven years ago." He said, smirking at her.

"Oh, be quiet. I know that's not true." She said, smacking his chest.

"Are you counting kissing a girl in preschool?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows.

"I mean, if that's what you consider your first kiss." She said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Tiffany Erickson." He said, smirking slightly. "She was playing basketball with me and I planted one on her."

"What did she do?" Haley asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"She kicked me where it hurts." He groaned, shaking his head. "I deserved it. You don't just kiss a girl unless you know that she wants you to."

"That's good knowledge to have." She said, tapping his head.

"Then I made out with her in high school. She liked it then." He said, winking at her. "The next girl I kissed was in sixth grade. I was a little scared of getting kicked again."

"I don't blame you." She laughed, tangling her fingers in his hair, leaning forward and kissing his cheek. "You can go ahead and kiss me whenever you want."

He grinned at her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him. "Good." He said, winking at her. "So... Let me think..."

She looked up at him, leaning into his side, smiling up at him. Her butterflies were all over the place. He wasn't even looking at her, just looking around the room as if he would find a question to ask her.

He was so cute.

"Hey." She said, resting her hand on his cheek, batting her eyelashes up at him. "That was code for kiss me now."

He looked down at her quickly, a smile forming on his face. "Okay." He said softly, leaning forward, pressing his lips to hers.

Haley shifted herself slightly, pulling him closer to her, eyes squeezing shut.

He felt himself getting lost in her quickly, brushing his fingers over her shoulder, scooting closer to her.

Haley's hand slid down to his t-shirt, gripping it in her fist, tugging him closer to her.

He was a little surprised at the force behind her. Though he'd been the one to kiss her, she was definitely taking the lead on this one.

It was different than the other kisses they'd shared that night. This was more similar to seven years ago, when he'd had her backed up against her hotel room door. It had the heat behind it.

She was driving him crazy, and they were only kissing.

Haley couldn't help herself as she leaned backwards, keeping her grip on his t-shirt tight, pulling him right along with her. She let go of his shirt, her arms wrapping around him, stroking his back lightly.

He smirked against her mouth, one hand rested on the couch by her head to support himself a little bit, the other trailing along her arm.

Haley could feel the muscles in his back. He may not be playing basketball, but but he was definitely staying in shape. He went running quite a bit, and she was just that when he was at home, he put good use to that workout room he had.

She slid one of her hand up to his hair, arching her back up into him slightly, tangling her fingers in his dark hair.

Nathan allowed a little more of his weight to drop down onto her, pulling her hand off his back, interlocking their fingers, pressing their hand down onto the couch.

Haley's head was spinning. She felt like she was in a state of bliss, and they were only kissing. But good lord, this man was a good kisser.

Nathan parted from her when his phone started vibrating loudly on the coffee table, glancing over at him. He saw that it was Lucas, shook his head, and leaned back down to kiss her again.

Haley turned her head to the side so his lips hit her cheek, glancing at the phone. "It's Clay, you better take it. I'm surprised he hasn't called you more today."" She said softly, brushing her fingers over his forearm.

"Yeah." He grumbled, sighing softly. "I'm going to be a jerk to him. He interrupted us." He said, moving off of her, standing up.

Haley laughed, smacking his calf lightly. "Be nice, I'll be here waiting."

He shook his head, smirking down at her, pressing a kiss to her head, before walking out of the room.

xxxx

Nathan settled down next to Haley in her bed, looking over at her as she read her book, letting out a deep breath. "Are you sure you want me to stay here?"

"Nathan, trust me, I wouldn't keep inviting you to stay if I didn't want you to." She said, pulling her glasses off her nose, setting them to the side, along with her book.

"I know, it's just... Odd." He said, shrugging slightly.

"You can go if you want." She said, looking over at him, brushing her hair to the side.

"No, no. I don't want to. But I don't want you to feel forced into letting me stay here because of everything I've told you." He sighed, looking at the wall in front of them.

"I don't, Nathan. Please, stop saying things like that." She said softly, sliding down the bed until her head was rested on the pillow, reaching over and turning the lamp off, the room becoming dark.

He nodded, following her actions, settling his head back against the gray pillow. It took a second for his eyes to adjust, before he finally looked at her, smiling slightly as she cuddled right up to him, her arm draping over his stomach.

"I like this." He said softly, letting out a deep breath. "Being next to you... The way I feel about you. It's different than how I've ever felt about anyone before. I hope that doesn't scare you."

She returned his smile, raising her hand from his stomach to his cheek, gently brushing her thumb along the smooth skin there. "It doesn't scare me." She informed him, nodding. "Do you realize how many times we've told each other how much we like each other today?"

"I can't help it." He laughed, resting his hand on hers, turning his head and kissing her palm lightly.

"I can't either." She said, shaking her head at him, lifting her head up, leaning over and kissing him lightly.

He felt his stomach begin to twist as he looked at her. He was feeling the butterflies, and the nerves. He felt his voice get really low as he spoke to her, almost a whisper.

"I want to be enough for you." He said softly, sighing softly.

Haley was quiet for a second. Even in the dark, she could see his emotions going all over the place. She smiled at him, brushing her thumb over his cheekbone.

"Get out of your own head, Nathan. Be here next to me." She said quietly, leaning forward, pressing a kiss to his forehead. "Stop over thinking things."

Haley could tell this was going to he a big obstacle for him to get over. The fear of him not being enough for her, or for anyone. She was worried about the thoughts that passed through his head. He was trying to be himself, and for the most part, when they were together, she could tell that he was himself. But he was so self deprecating inside his own head. She guessed that for the past few years, it had been difficult for him to act like himself, when the demons in his own head were screaming at him, breaking him down. She figured this was another reason he was eager to learn so much about her, because his thoughts could be filled with her life instead of his own.

In all honesty, she was worried she wouldn't be enough for him as well. She worried that she wouldn't be able to help pull him out of the hole that he'd been in, help save him. She wanted to help him.

She leaned forward, kissing him again, before letting her arm move across his stomach once more, her head resting on his chest.

He looked down at her, wrapping his arm around her. "Sorry." He said, letting out a small sigh.

"I'm serious, Nathan. I'll ban that word from my household if you keep using it when you don't need to." She laughed, poking his side lightly.

He smiled down at her, nodding his head. "My apologies." He said, smirking slightly.

"Nathan." She groaned, rolling her eyes, nudging her face into his chest.

"I'm done." He laughed, shaking his head. "What do you want to do tomorrow?"

"It's been so cold, so let's just stay in bed." She hummed, closing her eyes.

"Hey, that works for me. It's your turn to make breakfast." He said, chuckling quietly.

"Uh huh." She said, cuddling closer to him. "Whatever you say."

"Or we can eat cereal." He added, brushing his fingers over her shoulder.

"That's what I thought." She responded, smoothing her hand over his side. "Goodnight, Nathan."

"Night, Hales. Thank you for today." He said, smiling at her.

She lifted her head up once more, kissing him lightly, before resting it back down on his chest. "Anytime." She hummed, nodding.

He stared up at the ceiling, waiting until he could tell that she was asleep, hugging her close to him, letting out a deep breath, closing his eyes, trying to lull himself to sleep.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

"Hey, twenty-three!"

Nathan's head snapped away from the various cereal boxes in front of him, looking over as someone called out for him, raising his eyebrows.

"I can't believe my eyes, the man, the myth, the legend is standing in front of me."

"Well if it isn't the dirty-ass player that never shut the hell up on the court." Nathan said, a smirk forming on his face. "Skills, what the hell are you doing here, man?"

"The better question is what are you doing here?" Skills responded, crossing his arms. "This is my turf."

"No way." Nathan laughed, shaking his head. "You're from Tree Hill?"

"Hell yeah." Skills responded, nodding at him. "What are you doing here?"

"Nathan, do you want-" Haley began as she turned the corner, raising her eyebrows as she narrowed in on the person he was talking to.

"Antwon!" Haley said quickly, abandoning her cart, rushing forward and throwing her arms around him.

"Hey baby." Skills said, a grin forming on his face. "You know I hate when you call me that."

Nathan raised his eyebrows at the two of them, standing up a bit straighter, puffing his chest out a bit. He liked Skills. But not enough to not feel a pang of jealously shoot through him.

"What are you doing here?" Haley asked him, smiling brightly up at him.

"Just visiting my folks, brought a little Marvin McFadden with me." He said, nodding his head.

"You're kidding. Mouth is here too?" She asked him, looking up at him.

"Yeah, he brought a lady friend. They're out and about right now." Skills responded, looking towards Nathan. "You two know each other?"

"Wait a second, you two know each other?" Haley asked, looking back and forth between the two of them. "How do you know Nathan?"

"We played ball against each other. Kicked Duke's ass every single time." Skills said, smirking slightly.

"That doesn't sound familiar to me." Nathan chuckled, rolling his eyes. "I think you might have your stories mixed up after the hard time we gave you sophomore year."

"One year out of four means nothing." Skills said, shaking his head.

"We threw off your game after that. You were shaking in your jersey every game after that." Nathan said, rolling his eyes.

"Well, I held my end. And I definitely downed some shots after the game." Skills said, nodding his head.

"This dude is a crazy partier, Haley." Nathan laughed, shaking his head. "I mean, he did things that even I was shocked to see."

"I have a reputation." Skills said, shrugging his shoulders.

Haley looked in between the two of them again, her eyebrows still raised in confusion. She couldn't believe that the two of them knew each other. It made sense, but Skills had be another one of her close friends growing up, and the fact that him and Nathan had spent some time together... It was crazy.

"How do you to know each other?" Skills asked, gesturing between the two of them.

"It's a long story." Haley laughed, touching her hand to Nathan's arm briefly, smiling over at him.

"Guess that explains what you're doing here." Skills said, grinning at Nathan.

Nathan smiled slightly, looking down at Haley and nodding his head. "Yeah, pretty much." He chuckled, letting out a deep breath.

"I can't believe you two have known each other this whole time. Where was my hookup, Skills?" Haley laughed, raising her eyebrows at her friend.

Skills laughed, looking at Nathan and shrugging slightly. "If I thought you wanted to be set up with a sore loser, I would have."

"You trash talk the whole game, including drinks after, and I'm the sore loser?" Nathan laughed, stepping backwards, grabbing ahold of the shopping cart, pulling it towards them.

"Bro, you almost got thrown out of the first game we played at Duke freshman year." Skills reminded him.

"Okay, you elbowed me in the face and you know it." Nathan said, rolling his eyes. "Damn you. All these hard feelings are resurfacing."

"I can't figure out if you two are friends or mortal enemies or something." Haley said, looking between the two of them.

"I came up to him after the game and he was all moody and pouty, trying to act all tough with his scrawny ass." Skills said, shaking his head. "Promised I could do more shots than him."

"I have to admit, you proved me wrong there." Nathan chuckled, leaning against the cart.

"So, friends?" Haley laughed, looking up and Nathan and smiling.

"Whatever you want to call it." Skills said, looking at Nathan. "How's your beer pong buddy?"

"He just got married, actually." Nathan said, nodding at Haley. "To Quinn, Haley's sister."

"Woo, I love me some Quinn James." Skills said, smirking slightly. "She always wanted me, you know."

"Somehow, I doubt that." Nathan chuckled, rolling his eyes.

"Trust me, she didn't." Haley said, smacking Skills' arm. "Beer pong buddies, hm?" She asked, glancing over at Nathan.

"Champions." Nathan said, clearing his throat. "Beer pong champions."

"Nice." She laughed, nodding at him.

"What about your best buddy, number one fan, the Chaser?" Skills said, raising his eyebrows.

"Still my best buddy, not my number one fan though." Nathan said, rolling his eyes. He looked at Haley, clearing his throat. "I always liked Chase, but he used to annoy the hell out of me sometimes." He informed her, shaking his head.

"I see." Haley said, looking at him, before looking at Skills. "So you two... Know each other pretty well?"

"Hey, we played each other a few times a season, for four years, then went out drinking after." Skills said, nodding. "I have plenty of stories about this guy."

"Most of them he's not going to tell you." Nathan said, clearing his throat and nodding at Skills.

"Nope." Skills responded, bumping his fist against Nathan's. "So..." He trailed off, "How are you doing, Nate?"

Nathan laughed, shoving his hands into his pockets and kicking his foot at the ground. Of course, he knew exactly what Skills was referring to, and while he didn't want to talk about it that much, he wanted to try to stop avoiding it.

"I'm doing alright." He said, nodding. "It sucks, but what can you do? Just kind of... Moving on, I guess."

Haley rested her hand on his arm for a second, looking up at him and smiling slightly, offering him a small nod.

"Glad to hear it." Skills said, looking over at Haley. "What about you, Miss Haley James?"

"Oh, I'm great. I'm still teaching at Tree Hill, like I told you already. I still love it, despite the fact that I'm wrestling with high school drama every day." Haley hummed, nodding at him. "Yeah. I'm doing super well. Happy, healthy. Nothing to complain about."

"You always were the most stable." Skills said, winking at her. "Any chance the lovely Brooke Davis is in town?"

"Not right now. She's off running the fashion world." She laughed, shaking her head. "How are you doing?"

"Still doing the sports coordinating thing. It's a lot of fun. I still live with Mouth in California. Worked out for him, Brooke introduced him to her assistant or something like that. Now I practically live with both of them." Skills said, nodding his head.

"Mouth and Millicent, hm?" Haley hummed, "I can see that. How long are you guys here? I'm a little mad that you didn't tell me you were coming."

"We're here until next Wednesday." He informed her, nodding. "We were gonna come surprise you at your classroom today, but Turner made us leave. Said something about how he didn't want two grown men making noise."

"Well I'm definitely surprised." She said, smiling up at him. "How long have you been here?"

"Since late Sunday night, so one day." He told her, resting his hands in his sweatshirt pockets.

"Good. I was going to be even more mad if you'd been here a couple days and I'm just now finding out." She hummed, glancing over at Nathan, who had gone back to looking at various cereals. "So, what are you guys doing tonight? Nathan is supposedly planning on showing off his barbecuing skills, and you're welcome to join us."

"It's a talent, Hales. Not a skill." Nathan informed her, looking over at her and winking.

"My bad." Haley hummed, a grin forming on her face. He really could make her heart flutter by saying just about anything.

"I'll have to look with Marv, but that sounds good to me." Skills said, nodding at her. "I gotta go, mom sent me to the store to buy something she needs right now."

"Bye Skills." Haley said, smiling and stepping forward, pulling him into a tight hug. "I'll see you later."

Skills smiled, "See ya, Haley." He said, nodding over at Nate. "Bye Nate."

Nathan offered him a small wave, "Bye Skills." He said, looking over at Haley as he walked away.

She looked over at Nathan once he was out of view, stepping towards him, resting her hands on his sides.

Nathan smiled at her, leaning down and kissing her lightly, brushing his fingers over her arm.

"Mm." Haley hummed, resting her head on his shoulder. "I think that I should quit my job so that I can stay home and kiss you all day."

He laughed, tucking her hair behind her ear, kissing her once more. "Sounds good to me. I'll pay you to do that, if you want."

"That sounds a little scandalous." She laughed, patting his chest. She looked over at the cereal boxes once again, letting her hand slide down his arm and settle in his hand.

He grinned, giving her hand a light squeeze, looking over at her. He glanced her up and down briefly, before lifting her hand and kissing her knuckles, before looking at the shelves with her.

xxxx

"Was it okay that I invited them?" Haley asked him as Nathan opened up the grill, looking up at him.

Nathan nodded at her, smiling slightly. "Yeah, of course. Skills is pretty awesome." He informed her.

She smiled up at him, brushing her hand up and down his back lightly. "I can't believe that you know him."

"I know, how weird is that?" He asked her, looking down at her. "Listen, Skills probably has quite a few stories about me..." He trailed off, rubbing his neck and shifting his gaze away.

She nodded in response, standing on her toes, kissing his cheek lightly. "He wouldn't tell me if you didn't want him to."

"I was a little wild in college." He said, sighing softly.

"I don't care, Nathan." She said to him, turning him towards her. She pulled him down, kissing him.

He wrapped his arms around her, his hands resting on her waist, pulling her closer to him.

Haley leaned him to him, her hands smoothing over his chest slowly, feeling the strong muscles beneath his shirt.

He pulled away from her after a second, smiling slightly. "Your friends could show up at any minute."

She waved her hand in dismissal, taking a step closer to him, pressing her lips into the crook of his neck.

He tilted his head back, closing his eyes and letting out a deep breath as her lips travelled up his neck.

She lightly scratched her fingernails down his chest, nuzzling her nose against his jaw.

He couldn't help the quiet groan that escaped his lips, shaking his head at himself, pulling her closer until their bodies collided.

She had been driving him crazy today. Hands always touching him. In the morning, he'd woken up to her hand stroking over his back, and now she couldn't seem to stop. When she was at work earlier, he'd been so bored, but she had texted him about how much she missed him, or how she couldn't wait to kiss him.

He definitely liked dating Haley. He liked being friends with her too, but dating had extra perks. He'd been trying to take things a little slower with her, but she was seriously making things a little difficult.

"You're so hot." Haley informed him, winking up at him, her fingers curling underneath the collar of his shirt.

He laughed, looking down at her. "Why, thank you." He said, kissing her forehead. "Right back at you, Miss James."

She kissed him once more, looking over when she heard the knock on her front door. "That's them. Are you going to be okay out here by yourself?"

"Definitely not. You'll have to come back." He joked, smiling at her.

"Now I'm wishing I didn't invite them." She laughed, shaking her head and stepping off the balcony.

Following dinner, Nathan quickly offered to do the dishes, while Haley, Skills, Mouth, and Millicent sat down in the living room.

"Thank you so much for dinner, Haley." Millicent said, smiling over at her.

"Oh, it wasn't me. It was all Nathan." Haley hummed, nodding over at him in the kitchen.

"Definitely didn't think he would be true to his word." Skills said, laughing and shaking his head.

"I'm not surprised." She responded, tapping her fingers on the arm rest of the chair she was sitting in.

"Not to pry, but I think we're all a little curious how you ended up with Nathan Scott." Mouth said, glancing at him.

"Well, it's kind of an odd situation." Haley laughed, smiling and biting her lip.

"She's keeping it on the down low, Mouth. I already tried." Skills said, winking at her.

"I enjoyed watching him play a lot. He was pretty great all around. Good defense, good offense. He could transition easily." Mouth said quietly, clearing his throat. "Have you ever watched him play?"

Haley shook her head, "No." She said softly. "It's amazing watching people do things that they're passionate about."

"And it's amazing watching really cute guys do things they're passionate about especially." Millie added, smiling at her, nudging Mouth and looking over at him.

"You know, when you guys go from talking loud, to almost whispering, I know that you're talking about me." Nathan called from the kitchen, chuckling quietly.

"So his ass starts cussing me out, about how I elbowed him in the face. I said, bro, if I elbowed you in the face, you'd know. And everyone else would know." Skills said loudly, grinning.

Nathan rolled his eyes, shaking his head and looking down at the plate he was washing.

"To be fair, you did elbow him in the face. I watched it, there's no way you didn't." Mouth said, shaking his head.

"Get outta here, Mouth." Skills laughed, pointing at the door.

"Ha!" Nathan said, smirking slightly, shrugging his shoulders. "It was on purpose too. He never shut his mouth either."

"He really carried the team in high school, so he thought he was good." Haley joked, laughing and shaking her head.

"You watch it, James." Skills said, shaking his finger at her. "Don't make me bring up your athletic ability."

"Okay, I get it." She laughed, rolling her eyes. "But you did have a cocky swagger to you."

"You should've seen him!" Skills said, pointing over at Nathan.

"Hey!" Nathan laughed, setting the last plate in the dishwasher, walking into the living room and sitting down on the floor in front of Haley's chair. "I wasn't that bad. I was a lot worse in high school."

Skills shook his head, "Whatever you say, Nate." He chuckled, "You walked into every room like you owned the place."

Nathan laughed, shrugging his shoulders. "Okay, I'll give you that." He said, nodding.

Haley smiled down at Nathan, brushing her foot over his back. It was nice seeing him like this. He seemed genuinely happy. It almost made her want to kick everyone out so she could openly bask in his happiness alone. His laughter was so real, and he didn't seem to feel upset in the slightest talking to Skills about their history. It warmed her heart to see the real happiness on his face.

"Haley, you hit the clubs with this guy yet?" Skills asked her, raising his eyebrows.

"Skills, you know me." Haley laughed, shaking her head. "I only go out with Brooke. Nathan and I live the boring life, watch movies, sleep, talk about the weather..."

"I don't think it's boring." Nathan chuckled, looking back at her and smiling.

"Skills, you don't even do that anymore." Mouth added, laughing. "Not very often, anyways. You're too busy."

"You know I'll go to Tric while I'm here." Skills said, leaning over and bumping his fist against Mouth's. "You two have to come with us."

"We'll see. Wouldn't want to break our routine." Haley hummed, resting her elbow on her knee, leaning forward and placing her in her palm. Her other hand rested on Nathan's shoulder.

"Nate needs to come at least so he can play my wingman. We'd play a home game and chicks would still come up to us while we were at the bar and ask if he was Nathan Scott. At a home game. Completely dodge me to get to him." Skills groaned, rolling his eyes.

Nathan laughed, shrugging his shoulders. "Sorry, man." He said, smirking slightly. "I can't help it."

"Mouth isn't a good wingman." Skills joked, nodding over at his friend.

"I tried to help you!" Millie pointed out, crossing her arms.

"No you didn't." Skills said, rolling his eyes. "Better yet, you three stay here and play Scrabble. Let's go right now, Nate."

Nathan laughed, standing up slowly. "I'm in. Let's go."

"Skills, don't be a bad influence." Haley said, grabbing onto Nathan's wrist, pulling him so that he was sitting on the arm of her chair.

Nathan looked down at Haley and laughed, winking at her. "You're on your own, man. Guess I'm going to have to bail on you too. Scrabble, here I come. Really, I'll play anything but trivial pursuit."

"Shh." Haley said, poking his back and rolling her eyes.

"Why not Trivial Pursuit?" Millicent asked curiously, raising her eyebrows.

"Because Haley is a genius." Nathan laughed, glancing down at her. "We played it a couple weeks ago and she had no mercy on me."

"Haley likes to play games where she can win with her mind, because she can't win anything with her athletic ability." Mouth chimed in.

"I feel like somehow this has turned into everyone be mean to Haley night." Haley pouted, rolling her eyes.

"That's Thursday, usually." Skills said, winking at her and laughing.

"You guys are so funny, I never stop laughing." She said flatly, shaking her head and smiling.

Nathan laughed, glancing over his shoulder at her when she rested her hand on his back. He'd felt a little uneasy when Haley had run up to Skills in the store earlier today, and he was a little relieved that after spending time with them together, he could tell that their relationship was completely platonic. He actually liked spending time with her friends, obviously, Skills was an old friend of his as well, and he liked Mouth and Millie too. But the main reason he liked spending time with them was because of her. Right now, she was laughing hard at the things they were saying, and he honestly couldn't focus on anything but her laughter. He couldn't help but wonder if she held back a little bit of her personality when they were together. He could make her laugh, but he wanted to make her laugh the way she was right now. He definitely didn't want her to fake anything.

He inwardly shook his head. He had to stop thinking like that. He could feel his head starting to get clouded with insecurities about her, and if he continued down on that track, he'd make up some stupid phone call and get out of there. But he didn't want to do that.

"How long are you here, Nathan?" Mouth asked him, bringing him out of his thoughts.

Nathan looked over at him, raising his eyebrows. "I'm not really sure." He laughed, shrugging his shoulders lightly. "Until Haley gets tired of me, or vice versa." He teased, looking down at her once again and smirking.

Haley poked his spine lightly, rolling her eyes. "I don't see that happening anytime soon." She said, humming lightly.

"How long have you been here?" Millicent cut into the conversation.

Nathan shrugged his shoulders, "I was here for a couple weeks, went home last week for a few days, and now I'm back." He chuckled.

"Now that you've been here, no matter where you go, somehow you'll always make it back to Tree Hill." Haley informed him, shrugging her shoulders. "It's just what happens."

"It's the truth." Skills said, nodding his head.

"I can tell." Nathan said, smiling slightly, letting out a deep breath. "So, how did you all meet?" He asked, gesturing around the room.

"Just kind of grew up together." Mouth said, nodding at them. "Us, and a couple other guys."

"No Brooke Davis?" Nathan chuckled, raising his eyebrows.

"I didn't become friends with Brooke until I was in eighth grade." Haley informed him, shrugging her shoulders. "I don't like to brag about my high school days, but I wasn't exactly the coolest kid in school. I just had a class with Brooke, and she was copying my homework and it made me so angry at first, but eventually we started talking." She said, smiling. "And now she's my best friend."

"That, and Brooke Davis always wanted me." Skills interjected, winking at Haley.

"Not every single girl wants to get with you, Skills." Haley laughed, rolling her eyes. "Bevin had you locked down."

"Bevin is my girl. Not right now, but we'll end up together." Skills informed Nathan, nodding.

"We met Millie through Brooke, as you already know." Haley hummed, nodding over at Millicent.

Millie smiled, leaning into Mouth and nodding. "Brooke Davis gives everyone the world."

"Heart of gold." Mouth agreed, smiling.

Nathan glanced over his shoulder at Haley, who was nodding in agreement.

"You said eighth grade was when you-"

He was cut off by Haley's pointer finger jabbing into his back.

"Yes." She said, shaking her head. "Brooke made me go to parties. Still does make me go to parties."

"Eighth grade was when you did what, Haley?" Mouth asked, raising his eyebrows and leaning forward.

"Yeah?" Skills questioned, grinning slightly.

"They don't know?" Nathan asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Brooke knows, and everyone that was there knows. They weren't there." Haley said, shaking her head.

"I'm a little lost." Millie said, looking over at the two of them.

"What happened at the party, Haley?" Mouth questioned her, holding back laughter.

"I'm sorry." Nathan groaned, shaking his head. "I told all my friends right away."

"I was embarrassed." Haley said, pressing her face into her hand. "I still am."

"I knew it!" Skills said, pointing at Mouth. "There's no way she waited until she was sixteen to kiss anyone."

"Sixteen? You told them sixteen?" Nathan laughed, raising his eyebrows.

"I had a boyfriend, how was I supposed to hide it any longer?" She said, shaking her head. "It was exactly something I flaunted to my guy friends."

"Who was the lucky guy?" Skills asked her, grinning.

Haley picked up one of the pillows on the chair, hugging it to her. "No one."

"Marv, get your phone out and call Brooke right now." Skills said, pointing at him.

"It doesn't matter." Haley groaned, rolling her eyes. "You're just going to make fun of me anyways."

"Well, damn. You just gave it away. Call Junk, Mouth." Skills laughed, nodding. "He owes use five bucks each."

"You made bets on me?" Haley asked, shaking her head and sighing. "You guys are the worst. This is exactly why I told Brooke things and not you."

Nathan looked at Millie, who's expression mirrored his a little bit. He was feeling a little lost in this conversation. He couldn't quite figure out what was so funny to these two.

"You were in love with Jake Jagelski!" Mouth laughed, shaking his head.

"I was not!" Haley complained, rolling her eyes and sighing softly.

Okay. Well that made a little more sense in Nathan's head. He frowned slightly at the thought of Haley being with anyone but himself. It definitely had not bothered him the other night on their date, but the more he thought about the picture of the two of them on her desk, the more sense everything was making.

"You let Brooke write his jersey number on your face." Skills laughed, smirking at her.

"He played basketball?" Nathan asked, looking down at her.

"Can't believe Nate knows more than us." Skills said, shaking his head.

"Brooke forced me into that, and you know it. God, you two are terrible." Haley sighed, sinking back into her chair. "You know that I didn't like him that way."

"You're turning red." Skills laughed, shaking his head and fist bumping mouth.

"Because you're embarrassing me." She responded, rolling her eyes.

"Back off, you two." Millie said, patting Mouth's shoulder. "She probably would have told you if you didn't torment her like this."

"Sorry, Haley. We just knew it." Mouth said, shrugging and nodding at her.

"I heard from Jagelski like two weeks ago." Skills said, nodding at her.

"You did?" Haley responded, frowning slightly. "Well, what did he say?"

"Just checking in on him. He says he's all good, loves the little one to death." Skills confirmed, shrugging.

"Jenny. She sure is cute, isn't she?" Haley hummed, smiling slightly. "I haven't heard from him in awhile."

Yep. This would be the perfect time to fake a phone call and get out. He didn't want to sound jealous and overprotective, but this conversation was making him a little uncomfortable. Sure, she denied a previous crush on him, but he could deny anything he wanted to. He felt his pocket, sighing softly and glancing towards Haley's bedroom. He left it in there. There's no way he could fake it now.

"He only writes Skills back because he puts stupid little jokes in there." Mouth said, shrugging.

"I think the last time I emailed him was in October, so it's been like four months." Haley said, resting her hand on Nathan's back once again, scratching her fingernails lightly over the base of his spine.

"She's pretty close to five, isn't she?" Mouth asked, clearing his throat.

"Around there, yeah." Haley said, smiling sadly. "She sure is cute."

"I'd have to agree with that. But Jake was a dream boat." Mouth joked, grinning at her.

"He had the voice, the basketball, the looks, and the personality. The one that got away." Skills laughed, shaking his head.

"Back off, you two." Haley warned, rolling her eyes.

"Besides, we all know who the real one that got away is. Chris Keller." Mouth joked, laughing.

"Marvin." Millie groaned, shaking her head. "Leave her alone. She'll start teasing you."

"Yeah, Marvin." Haley said, crossing her arms. "Do I need to bring up a girl by the name of Shelly?"

"I'm out of here. Haley, good to see you. Nathan, good to meet you." Mouth said, standing up and shaking his head. He laughed, before sitting back down. "We all have dirt on each other, so let's just keep it buried."

"Deal." Skills laughed, nodding his head. "Which brings us to the two newest guests, my boy Nate, and my girl Millie."

"My boy Nate, and Mouth's girl Millie. You're, as you out it, flying solo for awhile." Haley teased him.

Nathan felt his heart pound in his chest lightly. He hoped more than anything that his face wasn't turning red. Haley James seriously had a way with him. And being referred to by her, as "her boy"... Shit. He was so smitten.

"Okay, enough is enough." Skills groaned, nodding at her. "I'm done messing with you. But I knew him first."

Nathan laughed, looking over his shoulder and winking at her. "Yeah, Haley. He knew me first." He joked with her, smiling.

Haley scrunched up her nose at him. "Go sit somewhere else, Nathan." She said, pointing to the empty chair on the opposite side of the room.

Nathan laughed, standing up and doing as he was told, crossing his arms, leaning back in the chair.

"Actually, we all know Millie. Onto Nate." Skills said, nodding at his friend.

"You know me, Skills." Nathan pointed out, shrugging.

"I knew 'Hold my beer while I go make out with this chick' Nathan. Not 'Please let me do the dishes, Haley' Nathan." Skills laughed, looking over at Haley.

"Stop it." Nathan groaned, pushing hand through his hair. "I'm doing good- well. Excuse me." He said, smirking over at Haley, who gave him a thumbs up.

"I'm just sayin." Skills commented, nodding. "You aren't the same."

"Leave him be, Antwon." Haley said, shaking her head.

Skills looked over at her, before looking back at Nathan, letting out an over exaggerated sigh. "Alright."

Nathan sent Haley a small smile, before looking over at Skills. "So, what exactly does a sports coordinator do?" He questioned him, raising his eyebrows.

"I make the plays you see in sports movies." Skills informed him, nodding. "It's the best."

"It actually is really cool." Mouth cut in, nodding his head quickly.

"That sounds awesome." Nathan said, raising his eyebrows. "What do you do, Mouth?"

"I work at a small little TV station about forty minutes outside of LA. Sports Broadcasting." Mouth responded.

"Damn, that's pretty cool too." Nathan said, looking at Millicent. "And you work with Brooke."

"That's correct." Millicent responded, smiling at him.

"Cool." Nathan nodded, looking over at Haley. "I work for Haley. She keeps me around to open jars for her, takes me to the store so I can reach things on the top shelf."

"It's what he's good for." Haley laughed, winking at him. "And now he has proved his barbecuing ability, so there's that."

"I'd have to agree there. Next time I'm in town, you better be here too." Mouth joked, nodding at him.

Nathan laughed, brushing his hand through his hair, looking at Haley once again. "I plan to be."

xxxx

"What are you doing?" Nathan asked her, falling down onto the couch next to her, scooting down and resting his head on her shoulder. "Is that me?"

Haley pulled the headphones out of her ears, looking over at him. "Yeah." She said, smiling sheepishly. "Is that okay? They were just talking about you playing, and I just wanted to see. I'll turn it off if you want me to, I know I should've asked you first, but-"

"Haley, you're rambling." He laughed, lifting up his head after a second, pressing a kiss to her shoulder, before sitting up. "This is the game where Skills elbowed me in the face."

"I know. I'm trying to find it." She said, biting her lip, pulling her headphones out of her phone, pressing the play button.

Nathan looked down at the phone, draping his arm around her shoulders and letting out a deep breath. He rested his head against hers, gently brushing his fingertips over the sleeve of the t-shirt he was wearing.

"I can turn it off." She said softly, scooting closer to him. "I'm sorry."

"No. Don't turn it off." He responded, offering her a smile. "It's time for me to start moving on, I think. I need to start accepting it."

She looked up at him briefly, kissing his cheek. "I'll be here." She said quietly.

"I'm glad." He responded, smiling slightly. "After all, you are my escape." He joked lightly, squeezing her shoulder.

She smiled, looking down at the phone, before looking back at him. "Did you mean it, Nathan? When you said that you plan on being here the next time those guys roll into town? I mean, you don't necessarily have to literally be here, but you really plan on sticking around?"

He looked down at her, resting his hand on the side of her face, kissing her lightly. He definitely felt it. He was tired of hurting her.

"Haley, I mean it. I want to be with you. I know it's only been a couple of days since I've opened up the mess that is myself, but I feel better when I'm with you." He said, kissing her nose lightly. "I feel happy." He hummed, kissing her cheek. "Almost... Invincible." He said, kissing her forehead. "I've been looking for you."

She smiled, nodding her head. She knew exactly what he meant by that. Both literally, and figuratively. They'd literally been looking for each other for the past seven years. But figuratively... He'd been looking for something to help him.

"Well..." She began, flattening her hand over his stomach. "I'd really like it if you would be my boyfriend." She said softly.

He raised his eyebrows, grinning at her. "I was going to ask you to be my girlfriend." He groaned, laughing quietly. "But I accept."

"And I accept as well." She laughed, kissing him deeply, closing her eyes.

They stayed there for a minute, before Nathan pulled back and glanced down at her phone.

"Why don't we finish watching?"


	18. Chapter 18

**Ah! A fast update? Unheard of! I actually really like this chapter. I love writing vulnerable, a little angry sometimes, Nathan. Thanks for reading!**

 **Chapter 18**

"So... Should we talk about it?" Haley asked him quietly as they ate lunch in their classroom, looking up at him.

Nathan's eyes moved to her from the sandwich that he was eating, before back down. "I'd rather not." He admitted, sighing softly.

"Nathan..." She trailed off, reaching forward, resting her hand lightly on his forearm.

He looked down at her hand, clearing his throat. "I believe it's self explanatory, Haley."

She gave his arm a soft squeeze, scooting her chair towards him a little bit, raising her eyebrows. "You really don't want to talk about it?"

"No." He said, shaking his head, tugging his arm away from her, setting his food down in the styrofoam container.

"Was it something I did?" She asked him, biting her lip lightly.

"No." He said quickly, letting out a deep sigh. "It just happens."

She nodded, looking at him. "Nathan..." She trailed off once again, trying to urge him to talk to her.

"Haley, I don't want to talk about it." He said, pushing his hand through his hair. "I'll see you later." He grumbled, standing up and beginning to collect his things.

"Wait a minute." She argued, standing up quickly. "Don't go."

"Don't push me." He said simply, letting out a deep breath. "I'll stay somewhere else if it bothers you."

"It doesn't bother me, Nathan." She said, stepping around him quickly to block him from exiting. "It doesn't."

"Well it bothers me." He said, shrugging. "I have to go. I'll see you when you get off work." He mumbled, tilting his head down an kissing her forehead.

"Nathan, stop it." She said, resting her hand on his chest.

"It's embarrassing, Haley. I don't want to talk about it." He said, sighing softly.

"It's not embarrassing, Nathan." She said, smoothing her hands over his broad chest, sighing softly, before letting her head rest there. "It's not."

He sighed, letting his arms hang at his sides while she hugged him. "I'm sorry." He mumbled, closing his eyes.

"It's not your fault. I was just worried because you were gone when I woke up again." She said softly.

"I left you a note." He said, letting out a deep breath.

"I know." She said, brushing her thumb over his cheekbone. "Come on, Nathan. I still have some more time. Just stay here." She said, grabbing onto his hand, pulling him back over to her desk, sitting down and nodding at the chair across from her. "I promise I won't bring it up."

He sighed, sitting down and looking at her. "Okay." He said, nodding his head. "Sorry."

"No, I understand." She said, brushing her thumb over his knuckles. "Thank you for bringing me lunch."

"Of course." He said, smiling at her. "You look beautiful today."

"Thank you." She hummed, openly looking him over. "You're not so bad yourself. I like your shirt."

He looked down, laughing. "What, this old thing?" He joked, winking at her.

She smiled at him, "Blue is definitely your color." She said, reaching across her desk, smoothing out the ruffled collar of his light blue polo shirt.

He watched her hand, letting out a deep death. "Thank you." He said, pushing his hand through his hair.

"You're still acting a little weird." She said, folding her hands on her desk and looking at him.

"No I'm not." He said, shaking his head and laughing.

"Yes you are. And I think we should talk about it." She said softly.

"Okay, you said you would stop." He groaned, looking at her.

"I know, but Nathan... If it's something that I'm doing, let me know and I can stop." She said, wheeling her chair around to the other side of her desk, grabbing onto both of his hands.

"Stop saying that." He sighed, shaking his head. "It just happens, Haley. It's not anything you're doing."

"Are you not comfortable? Did I pressure you too much?" She asked him, sighing softly.

"Pressure me into what?" He questioned her, looking down at their hands.

"Into staying with me. I want you to be comfortable." She said, nodding.

"Of course not, Hales." He said quickly, squeezing her hand. "I told you I didn't want to talk about it, especially not here. So I'm going to go."

She sighed, looking at him as he stood up. "Fine." She said simply, gesturing to the door. "I'll see you later."

"Yeah." He responded, nodding at her, before heading out of the classroom quickly.

xxxx

Nathan sat on the old picnic bench near the Rivercourt, staring down at the dark screen of his phone, letting out a deep breath. He looked over at the metal bleachers off to the side, pushing his hand through his hair. This reminded him a little of the court Lucas and his friends used to play on, and eventually, him and Lucas played on. But this one just seemed better.

The place looked like it was about to fall apart though. The rim was barely hanging onto the backboard. He guessed that it couldn't be dunked on anymore. He wondered briefly if anyone actually still played here, or if it was just sitting there untouched. Skills most likely made a pitstop here while he was in town.

He walked over to the car he rented, pulling open the trunk quickly, removing the basketball he'd bought for Haley's niece and nephews to play with.

With a look of determination, he walked back onto the court, dribbling the ball a little more awkwardly than he would have years ago, but it still felt right in his hands. He stepped up to the free throw line, spinning the ball in the air, watching it bounce on the blacktop, then fly back up to him.

He let out a slow, deep breath. His body easily formed into free throw stance, his hands raised up.

But then he stopped. He became rigid again, and he stared at the ball in his hands. He felt so much anger towards the whole thing, one that he desperately wanted to let go of. But what was the point? He used to make nearly every free throw, and if he wasn't going to get the satisfaction of the ball sailing into the hoop, what was the point? If he had to chase it down after it hit the rim and bounced everywhere, it was useless.

He let out a frustrated groan, throwing the ball as hard as he could, watching it sail over the grass and land in the water.

He couldn't believe he'd almost done that.

He sighed, walking back over to the picnic table, grabbing his phone and sitting down, tapping on it angrily, searching through it until he found the desired contact: Lucas.

"Nathan?" Lucas answered the call, his tone surprised.

"Hey big brother." Nathan chuckled, leaning back against the wood behind him. "How's it going?"

"It's going." Lucas responded, clearing his throat. "What about you? Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Nathan sighed, pushing his hand through his hair. "Look, Luke..." He began, searching for the words. "I'm sorry, man."

"Yeah, you dick. You better be." Lucas teased him, "I don't know what I did to make you cut me off."

"You didn't do anything. I'm just moody." Nathan sighed, looking at the court. "I've been a jerk to you for the last two years. To everyone, really."

"Nathan, you've been through some shit." Lucas assured him, "And while that doesn't make it okay, it's still true."

"I just... Wish it was all different." He said softly, closing his eyes. "I guess I'm jealous of your success. And of how much Haley likes you, and your book."

"I would never, Nathan-"

"I know, Lucas. And she wouldn't either. I'm just jealous of you." Nathan sighed, "I told her everything, pretty much."

"That's good, Nathan." Lucas praised him.

"She doesn't look at me the way everyone else does. The way Clay and Chase do, the way Peyton does, even the way you do." Nathan said, shrugging. "She's different."

"Then what's wrong right now, Nathan?" Lucas asked him, frowning slightly.

"She's so put together, and I'm not." Nathan laughed, shaking his head. "She has specific spots in her fridge where things go. She made me memorize it so I don't put anything in the wrong spot. She's so neat, it's crazy." He said, sighing softly. "I just don't want her to wake up and realize what a mess I am, and realize that she doesn't want me."

"She doesn't seem like the type of girl that would wake up one day and realize that." Lucas assured him. "I don't think she would lead you on if her feelings weren't genuine."

"I know that they are now, but Lucas... I like her so much. I like her more than she likes me, I know it." Nathan said, rubbing his hand down his face. "This is a real relationship."

"Nathan, don't push her away if you like her so much. You've already let her in more than most people, so just keep doing that." Lucas said, letting out a deep breath.

Nathan nodded, staying quiet for a minute. "This is going to sound really weird, but I've been staying at her house."

"Yeah, I've guessed that." Lucas chuckled, "She answered your phone when I called you about two weeks ago."

"Yeah. So I've been staying with her, since she doesn't think I need a hotel room when I'll be spending most of my time at her apartment anyways." Nathan said, smiling and rolling his eyes. "Last night, I woke her up because I was having, I guess one of those panic attacks I get in my sleep."

"Okay..." Lucas trailed off, "What about it?"

"She woke me up, and calmed me down, and I just feel embarrassed." He said, shaking his head.

"I don't really see the problem." Lucas said, "Why are you embarrassed?"

"Because she's taking care of me, Luke. I don't want her to think of me like I'm some injured baby deer that needs help walking." Nathan groaned, looking around.

"Well does she treat you like you're a baby deer, or did she just wake you up and calm you down?" Lucas asked him, clearing his throat.

Nathan sighed, pushing his hand through his hair. "She just calmed me down, and stayed there until I fell back asleep."

"I think you're over thinking everything, Nate." Lucas informed him, "I really doubt she sees you as something that she needs to fix up before she can send you back out into the world."

"She wants to talk about it, and I don't want to tell her." Nathan grumbled, closing his eyes and shaking his head.

"Then tell her that. But Nathan, if you push her away, you're only going to be more miserable." Lucas said to him, letting out a deep breath.

"I hate feeling so insecure, Lucas. Usually I'm confident, especially when it comes to women. But she's so strong." Nathan said quietly.

"Then lean on her, Nate. But don't wear her down." Lucas responded. "Don't make her feel like she has to force everything out of you, little brother."

"I don't know how you've handled everything, Luke. Keith was like your dad, and you're so stable." Nathan said, shaking his head. "It's been almost two years. Next month, it'll be two years."

"I know." Lucas said, letting out a deep breath. "The difference is, Nathan, I don't carry the unnecessary guilt that you carry. I didn't lose what you've lost. I still have my Mom, who I can lean on, and my writing to lean on. But you lost basketball the same night you lost your mom." He said softly. "And you blame yourself."

"I could've stopped her." Nathan choked out, squeezing his eyes shut, clenching his hand into a fist.

"No." Lucas said, shaking his head. "You wouldn't have."

"She needed me." Nathan said, pushing his hand through his hair, looking up at the dark clouds in the sky. "She needed me and I let her down. I could have saved her, Lucas."

"You can't think like that, Nathan." Lucas attempted to calm his brother, letting out a deep breath.

"She called me a least twenty times, Lucas!" Nathan said, threading his fingers into his hair.

"Stop it, Nathan." Lucas commanded, "Take a deep breath, and calm down."

Nathan did as his brother told him, staying quiet for a minute. "What should I do?"

"Maybe you should come home, Nate." Lucas said softly. "Not to New York, come back to California. Bring Haley with you. Her spring break is probably coming up in March, and I'm sure that she would love to join you."

"I can't." Nathan said quietly, shaking his head.

"Just think about it. I hate to do this, Nathan, but I have to go. I was kind of in a meeting when you called." Lucas chuckled, "Love ya, little brother. Now that you've called me, I'm going full on Clay and calling you ten times a day."

"Clay calls me about twenty times a day." Nathan chuckled, letting out a deep breath. "Bye, Luke."

"Bye, Nathan."

xxxx

"Where the hell have you been?" Haley asked her soaking wet boyfriend as he walked through her door, frowning at him. "I was worried about you."

"Sorry." Nathan shivered, looking at her and letting out a deep breath.

Haley met his eyes, frowning slightly. "What, Nathan? What's wrong?"

He looked like he was in a daze. Soaked from head to toe, an almost confused look in his eyes.

"I'm sorry." He said quietly, looking at her. "I'm a mess, Haley. I'm a big mess. I haven't always been like this."

"What are you talking about?" She asked him softly, resting her hands on the sides of his face.

"I'm tired of it." He said softly, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Baby, what are you talking about?" She questioned him, shaking her head.

"I can't do this anymore." He said, sinking down to his knees in front of her. "Help me."

She bit down on her lip, brushing her hands through his wet hair, when he wrapped his arms around her legs. "I want to, Nathan. Please, let me help you." She said quietly.

In all honesty, she was a little confused at the moment. He was so broken. She suspected it had to do with whatever type of dream he had last night.

"I did it, Haley." He said quietly, pressing his face into her leg. "All of it."

"Nathan..." She trailed off, massaging his scalp lightly.

"It was my idea to go into the school." He mumbled, shrugging. "Lucas would still have Keith, maybe I would still have my mom. My dad might've taken a turn for the better instead of the worse."

"Sweetie, you can't do things like this." She said softly, looking down at him. "You can't think about it that way."

"Luke says the same thing." He said quietly, tightening his gran around her. "I killed her, I know I did. I could've stopped her if I just would've picked up the phone."

Haley looked down at him, biting her lip. She felt shaken to her core. He was whimpering, and she wanted more than anything to provide some type of release to the boy begging for her help.

"You didn't know, Nathan. It's not your fault." She attempted, pushing his hair back.

"Last night, I had this nightmare that she was calling me, and I could see it, and I was trying to answer it, but someone was holding me back, and I look up, Haley... And it's my own father holding me back. Stopping me from seeing how miserable my mom is, from saving her." He said quietly, pressing his face further into her leg, making some sort of noise that made her heart wrench.

"Come here, Nathan. Let's get you into warmer clothes." She said quietly, taking her hand in his, tugging on it until he stood up to his feet. She led him to her bedroom, his hand icy in her own. She picked up his duffle bag that he'd been living out of for the past two weeks, setting it down on the bed, searching through it until she found him a shirt, sweatpants, boxers, and socks, turning around and looking at him. His eyes still looked hazy, and he was just staring at her.

She stepped over to him, pressing a light kiss to his cold lips, letting out a deep breath.

"Fix me." He begged her, grabbing onto her hand, staring at her. "But don't let me drag you down."

She met his gaze once more, shaking her head quickly. "You couldn't do that, Nathan." She assured him. "Change." She demanded, nodding at the clothes and making no move to leave the room.

He swallowed, slowly pulling his t-shirt over his head, letting out a deep breath.

It may have been completely inappropriate, but Haley's eyes roamed his muscular torso. She hadn't seen him without a shirt on since he was a teenager laying next to her on the beach. But he was more muscular now, which didn't surprise her because he did exercise quite a bit.

Her eyes landed on the jagged scar on his ribcage, her heart falling into her stomach as the memory of how he'd gotten it came back. He'd purposely crashed a damn race car in an attempt to make his pain go away. She needed to help him.

Haley stepped forward quickly, resting her hand on his bare chest, looking up at his face. She brushed her fingertips over his collarbone, feeling the soaked, goosebumped skin. With one last glance at his face, she dipped her head down, pressing her lips to the scar there, gripping his shoulder.

Nathan looked at her, his voice catching in her throat. What was she doing?

"Haley, you don't need to-" He finally choked out, resting his hand on her shoulder.

Haley ignored him, moving her lips over the damaged skin a few times, one hand moving to lightly stroke his stomach.

"Haley, please..." He said softly. "You don't have to do this."

"I want to, Nathan." She finally, looking up at him. "I want you."

He stared at her for a second, his eyes a little wide. He hoped that he wasn't taking advantage of her. Hoped that his vulnerable state wasn't swaying her to do something she'd regret. They'd only been official for about two weeks, and he didn't want to push her in any type of way.

"Hey." She stood up straight, cupping his cheek. "I want you, Nathan." She repeated, "Do you want me to stop?"

He shook his head, tipping her head back when she started to kiss down his neck, occasionally sucking at his skin, letting out a low groan.

Haley smiled slightly, pulling back for a second, lifting her own shirt over her head, rubbing the skin on his arms back and forth quickly to try and warm him.

He tried to avoid looking at her newly exposed skin, wanting to give her time to back out. But... He was only human, and he couldn't stop himself for very long. She was so beautiful, and he wanted to find the words to tell her, but her lips attaching to his skin once again made him catch his voice in his throat.

"I want you, Nathan." She repeated. "Let me show you." She said softly, glancing up at him. "I need you."

He met her gaze once more, and Haley saw the color shift from a dull, dazed blue, to a vibrant blue. Within another second, he had backed her up towards her bed, shoving his duffle bag off of it, his clothes most likely falling everywhere.

Haley smiled up at him, pressing her lips to his, wrapping her arms around him, and allowing them to fall back onto the bed.

Likewise, she hoped that she wasn't taking advantage of him either. But she wanted to make him feel the need and the want that she'd felt for him. Try and help him in some way. She wanted to show him how important he was to her, and how much she cared about him in such little time.

She wanted to show him that he mattered.


	19. Chapter 19

**This is completely lovey dovey.**

 **Chapter 19**

Haley smiled at Nathan, her pointer finger lightly stroking up and down the middle of his chest as she listened to him talk in hushed voice, biting down onto her bottom lip, looking up at him.

She'd asked him to tell her a story, about a time that he felt happy, a time when he felt like himself.

"And there with other time..." He began, pausing to laugh quietly. "This is mean." He said, shaking his head. "Clay and I were mean, especially to Chase." He added to the story, looking down at her. "Chase very kindly made us dinner, and we pretended that it was poisoned. We were in the middle of eating, and then we both just fell out of our chairs onto the ground." He said, laughing and rolling his eyes. "So stupid."

Haley laughed, pressing a kiss to his jawline. "You guys are dorks." She informed, shaking her head.

"We thought we were hilarious." Nathan informed her, looking at her once again, laughing again.

"I love when you're laughing." Haley informed him, snuggling further into his side, attempting to steal his warmth.

He looked at her, lifting up her hand from his chest, kissing her palm lightly. "I like it when you make me laugh." He said softly, brushing his fingertips up her back.

She smiled, pressing a kiss against his chest. "Are you feeling a little better now?" She asked him softly.

"I am, actually." He said, nodding at her. "That was amazing, Haley. Really. You didn't have to do that."

"A body like this..." She began, tracing his stomach muscles lightly. "How could I resist?"

He laughed, letting out a deep breath. "I'm sorry I'm a little bit of a train wreck." He said to her, kissing the top of her head.

"You really aren't, Nathan." Haley argued with him, lifting her head up and looking at him.

He opened his mouth to argue with her, before nodding his head. "I'm not." He said softly, squeezing her shoulder lightly.

She grinned at him, resting her hand on his cheek. "You're sexy when you talk like that." She hummed, winking at him.

Nathan laughed, kissing her briefly, shifting lightly underneath the bed sheet covering them. "You're good, right?"

"You tell me." She purred, squeezing his bicep lightly, winking at him.

He grinned at her, nodding his head. "Not what I meant exactly, but you're excellent." He said, smirking.

She lifted her head up off his chest once again, laughing and kissing him once more, her eyes fluttering shut.

Usually, when they kissed or did anything, Nathan let Haley take the lead. But not now. He had her pinned onto her back his seconds, his tongue forced into her mouth.

Haley raised her eyebrows, her fingers playing with the hair on the nape of his neck. She let out a low groan against his mouth when his hand cupped her breast, arching her back into him.

After a much to short period of time, Nathan fell back onto the bed, a cocky grin on his face.

"Well, I guess after that, I'd have to say that I'm wonderful." Haley said softly, resting her hand low on his stomach.

"You have no idea what flood gate you just opened, Haley James." Nathan laughed, looking down at her.

"Oh, it's you that has no idea what you've just done." Haley assured him, brushing her fingertips along his hip bones. "That was amazing, Nathan."

"You really didn't have to do that." He said, nodding at her.

"If you couldn't tell, Nathan... I wanted to." She said, shrugging her shoulders. "I wanted it, and I wanted you."

"Wanted?" He teased, winking at her, causing her to laugh, which in turn was music to his ears. He loved her laugh just as much as she loved his.

"Okay, want." She laughed, cuddling against him. "This just means I can walk around my apartment naked like I used to do before."

Nathan groaned, rolling his eyes. "Hot, but I know you wouldn't do that. At least not alone." He said, nudging her lightly. "I'm not sure I could handle it, though. We wouldn't make it out of the doorway before I brought you back in." He said, grinning at her.

Haley blushed lightly, rolling her eyes. "Please, Nathan. I'm not sure I would make if far either."

"Maybe you should call in a sub for work tomorrow and we can put it to the test." He suggested, raising his eyebrows.

She laughed, tickling her finger up his chest lightly. "If only. You're going to turn me into a sluffer."

"Maybe you could use some Nathan in you." He said, winking at her.

She laughed, rolling her eyes. "That was a bad joke." She said, shaking her head.

"I know." He chuckled, his hand resting on the small of her back. "That was amazing, Haley. Wow."

"You're going to inflate my ego." She said, smiling at him. "But it was amazing." She said softly, nodding her head.

"We must be a pretty great couple." He informed her, laughing quietly.

"Oh, we are." She said, brushing her fingertips over the scar on his torso once again, lifting her head to look at it.

Nathan followed her gaze, letting out a deep breath. "You make me feel stronger, Haley." He told her quietly.

"How so?" She asked him curiously, her fingertips outlining the scar.

"Because, you're a dream come true. The fact that we were brought back together... It means something for me. It makes me feel hopeful." He said in a hushed tone, nodding his head.

Haley met his eyes, smiling at him. "You give me hope too, Nathan. Don't think that you don't, okay? You're so strong, and you don't even know it." She said, brushing the back of her hand over his smooth cheek, leaning forward and pressing her lips to his.

He held her close to him, not pushing their kiss any further, keeping her body pressed up to his, one hand tangling in her hair.

She brushed her thumb over his cheekbone, a small smile on her face as they kissed.

When they finally parted, he looked down at her.

"You promise I didn't force you into anything? It really wasn't my intention, I was going to wait." He said softly, smiling down at her.

"Nathan, I've been shaving my legs every day for the past week. Maybe we're moving a little fast, but I've been wanting this." She laughed, winking at him.

"That's dedication right there." He joked, kissing her forehead. "You make me laugh."

"I hope that I can continue to do so." She said, nuzzling her nose into his chest, pinching his side lightly.

He jumped away from her, sending her a dirty look. "Stop it. I don't like it when you tickle me."

"I didn't." She laughed, scooting closer to him. "You make me laugh too, Nathan. And you make me feel beautiful when you look at me. I've always hated when guys are so blatantly obvious about checking girls out, but when you do it, it makes me feel good about myself. I like knowing that you find me attractive."

"You're unbelievably beautiful, Haley James. Sexy, hot, pretty, cute, beautiful. I would use any of those and more to describe you." He assured her, letting out a deep breath.

She smiled, brushing his hair back behind his ear lightly, letting out a deep breath. "See... And I believe that you actually feel that way."

He nodded his head, "Good." He responded to her, kissing her briefly. "You know, for the longest time... I just felt so alone. Even when I've been around other people, somewhere I used to be very comfortable, I feel by myself. But not when I'm with you. Maybe your strength scares me a little bit, but it comforts me so much."

She nodded her head, "Maybe I'm not as strong as you think I am. I'd hate to disappoint." She laughed, nudging her nose against his.

"No, you are." He assured her, rubbing his hand over her back, pulling her in tighter to him. "I bet all the James girls are strong like you, huh?"

Haley shrugged her shoulders slightly, resting her head on his shoulder, pulling the sheet further up her body. "Maybe."

"Quinn is." He said softly, closing his eyes. "I didn't talk to her all that much. Or I usually tried to avoid her. It might sound a little weird, but I was mad because she was taking Clay from me." He chuckled, shifting slightly. "I was pretty mean to her at times, and I don't know if Clay ever actually found out, because he never said anything to me. She just took it."

"You were mean to my favorite sister?" She asked him in mock offense, gasping.

"I wish I could take it back." He sighed, letting out a deep breath. "And I'm guessing Taylor is very strong winded."

"You remembered her name." Haley stated, lifting her head up and raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah, she's your sister." He said, sending her a small smile. "I'm horrible with names, but I try hard to remember things you tell me."

"Taylor is very strong and confident. Kind of the black sheep," Haley confirmed, pushing her hand through his hair. "Vivian is just pushy. Quinn is brave. She likes to go on all these adventures for her pictures. So I guess we all are a little strong. But our mom is too."

"What about your brothers?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows and looking down at her.

"Weak." She joked, shaking her head. "We all have our strengths and weaknesses."

"Yeah, and what's your weakness?" Nathan asked her softly, brushing his fingertips over her ribcage.

"Clowns." She laughed, brushing her foot up his shin lightly. "Definitely clowns."

Nathan laughed, rolling his eyes and nodding. "Noted. I'll protect you from any type of clowns that come your way."

"My hero." She hummed, winking at him, turning her head and kissing his chest.

He grinned at her, letting out a deep breath, letting his hand fall onto the bed behind her. "I talked to Lucas earlier."

"Oh thank god." Haley said, letting out a sigh of relief.

"What?" He asked her, raisin his eyebrows a frowning.

"It has been eating me up that you haven't called him yet." She laughed, sitting up slowly, holding the sheets against her chest and looking down at him. "What did you talk about?"

"You." He hummed, tracing his hand down her spine, smiling as she shivered. "And me."

"You tell me what you feel comfortable telling me, alright?" She said, looking over her shoulder at him, nodding.

"I just told him that I'm still struggling, despite these past two weeks being some of the best I've had." He informed her, tracing light circles into her back.

She smiled slightly, resting her hand on his knee. "Yeah?" She said softly, biting her lip.

He looked hesitant for a second, almost embarrassed, "I was at the Rivercourt, and I almost tried to shoot a free throw," He blurted out, letting out a deep breath.

"Oh?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows, nodding at him to continue.

"Yeah." He sighed, shaking his head. "Then I threw your ball into the river, so I owe you a new one." He said softly, brushing his fingers through his hair.

"You're brave." She told him, biting her lip for a second, thinking carefully about what to say next. "Even thinking about shooting a free throw makes you brave. You had two things that you love so dearly ripped away from you in one night, Nathan. You bounced back from a spinal injury, you can walk, you can run. You can lift heavy things. You don't look at yourself the way I do." She said, biting down on her bottom lip.

"Yeah." He sighed, moving his legs around a little bit. "Sometimes I wake up and I'm worried it was all a dream though. I'm worried that I have to get up get in my chair."

"Is it okay if I ask how you got out of it?" Haley asked him quietly, keeping her intense gaze on his face.

Nathan nodded his head slowly, climbing out of bed. "I better put pants on for this." He chuckled, getting dressed quickly, opting to leave his shirt off now.

Haley raised her eyebrows, following his lead and getting dressed, picking up the shirt she had chosen for him, pulling it over her own head.

Nathan groaned when he looked at her, sitting down on the bed and leaning back against the headboard. "Wait a second, that definitely won't help." He chuckled, "Just makes me want to take your clothes off you all over again."

"Maybe after." She said, winking at him. She sat down on the bed next to him, tucking her legs underneath herself and nodding at him.

"I was a frat guy in college." He informed her, shaking his head and pushing his hand through his hair. "It embarrasses me, because I told you in high school that I was trying to be a better guy. And I was for awhile. But when I left for college... I had fun. I had learned to be more respectful of the people I chose to spend my time with, but there were a lot of them, if you get what I'm saying." He said, letting out a deep breath and shaking his head.

"Okay." She said, nodding at him. She had already guessed that about him, but there was a little bit of a nagging feeling that accompanied the story he was telling her.

Nathan sighed, pushing his hand through his hair. "I'm sorry, Haley." He said softly, looking down and shaking his head.

"Nathan." She smiled at him, kissing the side of his neck lightly. "Don't apologize, okay? Because I don't care. Really, I don't. It's not like I have any authority over anything you did." She laughed, rubbing her hand over his shoulder.

"Well, towards the end of basketball season, I had been fooling around, I guess dating this girl, Renee. I didn't really do anything with anyone else, but I didn't really consider her to be my girlfriend either." He said, shrugging his shoulders. He sighed, looking at her and shrugging. "I can stop."

"Don't stop, Nathan. I'm serious. I want to know you." Haley said softly, pushing his hair back. "I like feeling connected to you."

"So I'm seeing this girl, alright. And then I get thrown through a window and cut everyone off, her included. Clay was graduated, working at an agency already and he let me move in with him in his big house in New York." He informed her, nodding his head. "She found Clay's house and was pounding on the door about five months after it all happened, wanting to see me." He said, sighing softly.

"Alright..." Haley trailed off, nodding for him to continue.

"Clay let her in, and I was so pissed when he told me I had a visitor, and he came into the room before her, looking a little sick. And I was about to ask what the hell was going on, when she walked in," Nathan sighed, looking at her. "I felt my heart drop into my stomach and all the color leave my face. There she was, standing in front of me with a baby bump."

"Oh." She said, clearing her throat and nodding, shifting slightly.

"Yeah." He sighed, looking at the TV on the wall, shaking his head. "I was resistant at first. But it made sense. This baby had to be mine, right?"

She bit down on her lip, brushing her fingers over the back of his neck, letting out a deep breath. Did he have a child that she didn't know about?

"So I cleaned up my act. I could walk, I just didn't want to waste my time with healing myself if there was no point." He confirmed, nodding at her. "Pretty soon I was on crutches, then walking with a cane. I wasn't going to date her again, just provided her with insurance, money if she needed it until the baby was born."

Haley nodded at him, raising her eyebrows at him. She had no idea what to say, but surely there was more to it. He would've told her if he had a child.

"Anyways, don't freak out too much." He assured her, nodding his head. "After about two months, I had sobered up, still walking with a cane, but I was doing well. So I asked her if I could come to an appointment, and she was so against it," He grumbled, shaking his head. "Like she was adamant that I not go with her. So I kept asking her why I couldn't go with her, bothering her about it. Eventually, she cracked. She told me that it wasn't really my baby, and that the real father had been coming to the appointments with her, but things were tight for him, and of course I lived in this huge house with Clay and inherited all my mom's money so I had more than enough to go around."

Haley blinked slowly, looking at him. "What?" She asked him, biting her lip lightly.

"I know, pretty wild, huh? I kicked her out, cut off any ties with her." He said, shaking his head. "I couldn't believe she would lie about something like that. I kept going with physically therapy because Clay needed me to, but stopped giving a shit."

"Wow." She said, letting out a deep breath and shaking her head. "That's insane."

"Yeah. At least it got me out of that damn chair," He said, pushing his hand through his hair. "And a haircut."

Haley stayed quiet for a second, studying his features. He looked tired from telling this story. It seemed like he was a little upset that the baby wasn't actually his, in a way. It was admirable, though. That he would clean up his act so quickly.

"I'm sorry." She said quietly, following his hand, pushing her own through his hair.

"It's okay. I didn't care for her anyways." He said, shrugging. "And I don't think I'd be a great role model anyways."

"Nathan, you're the definition of fortitude." She said, pushing her hand through his hair.

Nathan smiled at her word choice, nodding his head. "You make me doubt myself a little less, Haley James."

"Good." She responded, leaning forward and kissing his cheek. "You definitely didn't need to put on pants for this."

"Oh, I didn't?" He laughed, rolling his eyes and smiling playfully at her. "Well I wish you would've told me."

She smiled at him, resting her chin on his shoulder briefly, before leaning back against the headboard, letting out a deep breath. "I'm sorry that all of this has happened to you, Nathan. I wish I could take some of it from you."

He nodded at her, resting his hand on her leg. "This might sound cheesy, but you make it better," He admitted quietly.

She laughed, resting her hand on his, kissing him lightly. "Thank you," She said softly. "I'm not put together all the time, Nathan. So I'm sure I can count on you to help me when I need it."

"Definitely. Whatever you need." He said, grinning at her, lightly brushing his fingertips up and down her thigh, humming softly, letting his eyes fall shut.

She watched him, letting out a deep breath. He looked peaceful. His hair was a mess, he had faint dark circles under his eyes, most likely due to the difficult night he'd had. But he looked relaxed, which made her feel more relaxed. After he'd left her classroom, she'd felt uneasy all day. And then when she arrived at home, and he wasn't there, she'd tried calling him several times, but there was no answer. She rested her hand on his chest, closing her eyes as well, the gentle feeling of his fingertips on her skin lulling her into a light sleep.

xxxx

Haley's eyes snapped open to the sound of banging in the kitchen, looking around the bed and rubbing her eyes, smiling slightly when Nathan wasn't in bed next to her. She glanced over at the clock, it was already nine. Geez. What was supposed to be a brief nap, turning into two hours.

She brushed her fingers through her hair, hoping to smooth it out. She climbed out of bed quickly, looking at herself in the mirror in her room, Nathan's shirt the only thing that she was wearing at the moment.

A giant grin formed on her face at the thought of her night. She touched the sleeves of his shirt to her face, breathing in his scent, well what was a mixture of her fabric softener and him, and smiling. And now he was in the kitchen, most likely trying to make something for her. This could by get any better. Maybe she was going to go show him out grateful she was.

With one last glance in the mirror, wiping of any remaining lipstick that was on her lips, she stepped out of the room quietly, walking down the short hall to where the kitchen was.

"Hey sexy, are you ready for-" She began as she turned the corner, stopping in her tracks. "Brooke." She finished, clearing her throat.

Brooke looked at her, raising her eyebrows. "Oh, I'm definitely ready, baby..." She trailed off. "Who are we looking for, Ms. Haley James?"

Haley shifted slightly, tucking her hair behind her ear and biting her lip. "I didn't know that you were going to be in town."

"I told you, didn't I?" Brooke asked, an amused expression on her face as she took in her appearance. "How's Nathan? I'm hoping it's Nathan, of course. Really anyone but Chris Keller."

"Nathan is great." Haley said, biting her lip and stepping forward, sitting down at the bar, tugging his shirt further down her legs.

"Obviously he's doing well, because it's been like four seconds since you've started dating, and you're already having sex." Brooke hummed, winking at her and continuing to search through her fridge.

Haley blushed, looking around the apartment. "Did you see him?"

"No, I've only been here for about ten minutes. I need food, but shockingly, you don't have much." Brooke said, letting out an annoyed sigh.

"I'm sorry that I don't have the food that you like in my house." Haley laughed, biting her lip and smiling brightly at her.

"You look happy." Brooke commented, stepping over to the counter, resting her elbows on it.

"I'm so happy." Haley admitted, nodding quickly. "We may have had our ups and downs, and I know it won't always be this way, but I'm so happy."

"I'm happy for you." Brooke hummed, nodding. "I'm glad that he's opening up to you, making you feel special."

"He's just the cutest thing, Brooke. He seems like a gruff alcoholic to everyone else, but I haven't seen him drink once with me, and he just loves to be with me." Haley said dreamily, her eyelids batting.

"You deserve it, Haley. You deserve the guy that attempts to make you breakfast in the morning, even though he's a bad cook. Though Mouth did brag about his barbecue to me." Brooke said, smiling at her.

"Right? What are the odds that my guy has known Antwon Taylor for years." Haley commented, grinning and letting out a deep breath. "He's a different person with me, Brooke. He's becoming a different person."

"Good, I'm glad that you're so happy," Brooke told her, nodding her head. "You really need to tell me more about this little thing you have going on. You told me that he was officially your boyfriend, and he opened up, but you didn't tell me that you two are living together."

"I wouldn't necessarily call it living together..." Haley trailed off, shaking her head.

"Haley, you have protein shakes in your fridge. You don't drink protein shakes," Brooke reminded her, shrugging. "Not to mention you're sleeping together, which is not completely like you. I mean, you don't usually throw yourself into bed right away."

"None of the guys that I've dated are Nathan." Haley hummed, biting her lip. "Tonight was the first time," She admitted, blushing.

"Damn. How was he? I mean, his shoe size must be around 13 or 14." Brooke said, smirking at her.

"Size 14." Haley informed her, shifting slightly. "Anyways, he was amazing. Easily the best I've ever had."

"Wow," Brooke said, tapping her chin. "Better than Chris Keller?" She joked, smiling.

"Gag me. Chris wasn't that good, he was selfish. Nathan was all about me and us," Haley said, feeling her heart swell. "I'm falling for him, Brooke. Fast."

"I can tell. You have the look," Brooke hummed, nodding.

"What look?" Haley questioned her, raising her eyebrows.

"You know, the look? The one that people get when they find someone that is great?" Brooke said, letting out a deep breath. "You have it."

"I feel it too," Haley said, nodding quickly. "I mean, I just want to be with him all the time. He consumes me."

"In more ways than one." Brooke joked, winking at her. "You've dated some shitty guys, Haley. I don't trust him all the way, but I've never seen you this happy. Or maybe I should say this satisfied."

"Because I've never felt like this, ever." Haley responded, touching Nathan's shirt sleeves to her face again, biting her lip.

"That good, huh? Damn, I need to find a guy that gives me this feeling that you have. Or rocks my world as well as Nathan rocked yours today, one of the two," Brooke laughed, tapping her fingers on the counter.

"You deserve both," Haley replied, winking at her. "You're Brooke Davis, you'll find it."

"Give me his brother's phone number, maybe it's in the genes," Brooke demanded, nodding at her. "He is so hot."

Before Haley could respond, Nathan stepped into the apartment, pulling his hood off his head, brushing the water droplets off his sweatshirt. His gaze narrowed in on Brooke briefly, before he looked at Haley and raised his eyebrows.

"Speak of the devil," Brooke hummed, looking at Nathan, offering him a small wave.

"Talking about me?" Nathan questioned, setting a bag with take out boxes down on the countertop, glancing down at Haley's clothing choice, smirking slightly and pressing a brief kiss to the side of her head.

"Talking about Lucas." Haley answered, brushing her hand over his damp back, fixing his hood lightly.

"Gross." Nathan said, scrunching up his nose and looking at them. "Why?"

"He's hot. I think that you should give me his phone number," Brooke begged, nodding at him.

"What?" Nathan asked her, shaking his head and sitting down. "No."

"Come on, Nate. You'd be helping me out," Brooke said, sliding her hand across the countertop, grabbing onto Haley's hand, then Nathan's, holding their three hands together. "We're a team."

Nathan sighed softly, looking at Haley, pulling his phone out of his pocket. "Okay." He said, finding Luke's name, holding it out to her.

"You're the best. I promise, I'll tell Haley's other boyfriend that I like you better." Brooke teased him, pulling out her own phone, putting Lucas' phone number in quickly. "Thank you."

Haley looked between the two of them, clearing her throat. "So..." She trailed off, looking over at Nathan. "What did you bring?"

"Just your favorite," Nathan said, glancing over at Brooke. "Mac and cheese, food of gods." He informed her, pulling the take out boxes out of the bag.

"That's sweet," Brooke said, looking at them. "Eating Haley's weird food together."

"It's not weird!" Haley argued, resting her hand on the back of Nathan's neck, gently brushing her thumb over his skin. "Thank you."

"Of course," He said softly, smiling at her, clearing his throat.

"I'll let you guys eat. Haley, I'll call you tomorrow." Brooke informed her, shifting her gaze to Nathan. "Why don't you walk me to my car?"

Haley sent Brooke a warning look, shaking her head, "Brooke..."

"It's fine," Nathan said, standing up. He quickly pulled the zip up hoodie off of himself, nodding his head.

"Haley, I'd give you a hug, but you're wearing next to nothing and I just don't think I'm there yet in our friendship." Brooke joked, winking at her. "I'll talk to you tomorrow. I love you."

"You too." Haley responded, opening up one of the to go boxes, smiling at her.

Nathan followed Brooke outside, raising his jacket up above her head to shelter her from the rain that was falling.

"You're doing a good job, Nathan." Brooke assured him as they ascended the stairs, glancing over at him. She looked up at the jacket shielding her head, sending him a small smile. "Thank you."

He tilted his head towards her, clearing his throat, "Thank you for helping me."

"I did it for Haley." Brooke said, shrugging. "And she's so happy. Please, be careful with her. She doesn't take this thing between you lightly."

"Neither do I," Nathan responded quickly, shaking his head. "I promise."

"She seems really, really happy. And you're the one making her happy, so don't stop. Thank you for coming back here, and fixing your mistakes," Brooke said softly, smiling at him.

Nathan smiled at her, letting out a deep breath, "I don't know if I would have done it without that shove from you, Brooke. I mean it, thank you so much for that."

"I do what I can to help my friends," Brooke hummed, pointing out her car to him. "She's so happy, Nathan. Don't doubt her, or yourself, okay?"

He nodded quickly, looking over at her. "I'll try not to." He said quietly.

"Congratulations, by the way." She said, smirking and smacking him in the side lightly.

"For what?" He questioned, raising his eyebrows.

"Scoring," She laughed, winking at him.

"Oh." Nathan laughed, feeling his cheeks heat up lightly. "Thanks, I guess."

"She tells me a lot usually, so you better watch out," Brooke teased him, stepping up to her car.

Nathan laughed, nodding down at her. "I will," He hummed, pulling open her car door for her.

"You seem happy too." Brooke stated, looking up at him. "It suits you. Both of you."

"I am." Nathan said, letting out a deep breath. "Well, I'm sure Haley will call you. It was good seeing you in better circumstances."

"You too," Brooke said, standing on her toes and hugging him quickly. "Keep making her happy, because she deserves it and so do you."

"Thank you, Brooke." Nathan whispered, letting out a deep breath and watching her get in we car, taking a step back and pulling his jacket on.

"I'll be texting your brother, don't worry." Brooke informed him, winking at him.

"Oh, good." Nathan laughed out, "See you later, Brooke."

"You too," Brooke hummed, waving at him, starting her car and driving away.

Nathan turned around and jogged into Haley's apartment quickly, a lazy smile on his face at the thought of the girl waiting for him inside.

He pushed open the door, the front door, quickly taking a seat next to her at the bar.

"I'm sorry about that," Haley said, shaking her head. "She likes to make everything her business."

"I like her." Nathan told her, nodding his head and smiling. "She has your best interest at heart, and I think it's awesome how much she cares about you."

"She's my Clay, maybe a less panicked, doesn't call me six times a day one, but my best friend." Haley said, letting out a deep breath and smiling at him.

"He used to call me sixteen times, so there's progress there." He laughed, resting his hand on the back of her chair.

"Very true," Haley laughed, looking up at him. "Thank you for all this, Nathan. You didn't have to do this." She said, gesturing to the food she was eating.

"I wanted to. I decided I better not try and make you Mac and cheese. Maybe some day." He laughed, leaning over and pressing a kiss to her head. "You look so good."

"I was a little embarrassed to walk out here and find Brooke making all the noise, usually it's you." She teased him, winking at him. "I turned the corner and was in the middle of calling out to you to ask if you were ready for some hot, passionate, amazing sex."

Nathan groaned, laughing quietly. "For the record, I think I might always be ready for that." He said, removing his arm from her back of her chair, resting it on her leg.

She laughed, nodding at him. "I thought you might be," She informed him, biting down on her bottom lip.

"You are just... Wow." He stated, attaching his lips to her neck for a brief second, smiling when she tilted her head to the side, kissing up to her ear.

Haley sucking in a deep breath, closing her eyes. "You know, I think this Mac and cheese might taste better reheated in an hour or so."

"Me too." He admitted, jumping up from his chair quickly, not wasting any time as he shoved the to go boxes in the fridge, scooping her up off her chair before she had the time to stand up, and rushing to her bedroom.

xxxx

"Mm..." Haley hummed out as Nathan put the fork in her mouth, smiling up at him, pushing his slightly sweaty hair off his forehead. "You really are taking care of me tonight."

"You took care of me." Nathan admitted, kissing her forehead. "Last night, today. You're helping me so much."

"I do what I can," She said, leaning into him slightly, squeezing his shoulder. "You're taking care of me too. Good food, good sex. I'm not sure what else I need," She joked, smiling at him.

He laughed, eyeing her and shaking his head, "I do what I can." He repeated her words, allowing his head to rest back against her headboard.

She let out a deep breath, raising the fork up and feeding him some of the macaroni and cheese. "Thanks for dinner."

"It was my pleasure." He hummed out to her, nodding his head. "So, can I talk to you about something? Really, two things."

"Absolutely," She told him quickly, nodding her head and smiling at him.

"The first thing is, well..." He rubbed his neck, looking down and sighing. "Valentines Day is coming up, and I was just hoping that you would be my Valentine." He said, smirking at her.

Haley laughed, cuddling into his side. "I think you already know the answer to that," she told him, kissing his cheek and nodding her head. "Of course."

"Phew, got the big one out of the way." He joked, grabbing onto her hand, interlocking their fingers. "You can say no to this one..." He trailed off, looking at their hands. "I was just thinking, you Spring Break is going to roll around next month... I was wondering if maybe you want to spend the week in California with me?"

Haley raised her eyebrows, looking up at him. She was a little shocked. He wanted her to go back go California with him? He told her that he didn't like going back there, and he wasn't really planning on going back anytime soon.

"You want me... To go to California... With you?" She asked him slowly, biting her lip.

Nathan squeezed his eyes shut, slumping back against the headboard and sighing. "No, you don't have to. It was just a suggestion, Luke's idea really, he wants me to come home for a little-"

"Stop it, Nathan." Haley laughed, "I'm the rambler, don't take my thing. I'm just a little surprised. You told me you don't go back there often."

"I know." He said, shrugging his shoulders. "I don't, but Luke thinks it might be a good idea."

"Then I would love to go with you." She answered him quickly, kissing him lightly. "Really, Nathan. If you want to do this, then I want to do it with you."

"Really?" He asked her, smiling. "Because I really haven't been there since my mom died."

"You haven't been home in almost two years?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows. "Wow. That's a long time."

"Yeah." He nodded, letting out a deep breath. "I need to warn you too, I get a little messy at that time of year. So really, if you don't want to come, I get it."

"Understandable." She told him, squeezing his hand lightly. "Nathan, you don't need to go back there."

"I know." He informed her, letting out a deep breath. "I just think it might help me move forward."

"Okay. Well I would be happy to go with you," She told him, sending him a small smile.

"You can meet Luke's mom. She's great. And his little sister." He told her, letting out a deep breath. "Her name is Lily."

"Can't wait." She said softly, kissing him briefly. "You still have time to change your mind though, so if you do, just let me know, okay? I'll be right there with you."

"I know." He said, smiling at her, "Thanks, Hales."

"Of course, baby." She soothed her hand over his chest, leaning into him. "I want to be here for you."

"I want to be here for you too," He said softly, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, resting his head against hers.

"I really should quit my job," She joked, nestling herself further into his side.

"Definitely." He laughed, kissing the top of her head, closing his eyes.

"What did Brooke say to you?" Haley asked him, tracing the muscles in his stomach.

"Nothing really. Just told me to keep rocking your world," He joked, smirking slightly.

"I bet she did," She laughed, rolling her eyes. "I don't think that there will be a problem with that."

"You rocked my world probably even more than I rocked yours." He informed her, laughing. "So tell me something, what's it like being the most beautiful woman in the whole entire world?"

Haley groaned at his words, rolling her eyes. "Don't, Nathan." She laughed, shaking her head. "I'm going to shower, you put the food away. Then maybe, if I decide not to lock the door, you can come join me?"

"What an honor." He told her, nodding his head.

"Are you going to take it, or no?"

"It's a deal."


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

"Yes, Clay. Uh-huh. We just got off the plane. I promise, I'll be okay. I'll call you in a little bit, alright? Luke is picking us up."

Nathan sighed, hanging up the phone and looking at Haley, rolling his eyes. "He worries about me too much." He chuckled, letting out a deep breath.

Haley smiled up at him, letting her hand slide into his with ease, looking around the crowded airport and taking a small step closer to him. "I'm sure he'll still be calling you like that in fifty years," She hummed, allowing him to guide her to baggage claim.

"He just knows that this time of year is exceptionally hard," Nathan told her, clearing his throat. He adjusted the straps on his backpack, nodding at her before stepping forward to look for their bags.

Haley smiled at him, watching as he eyed each bag carefully. He'd been jittery the whole plane ride. Almost like he'd drank fifteen cups of coffee or something similar to that. She could tell he was totally nervous, despite the fact he was trying to keep his cool.

She bit down on her lip lightly, wanting to just soothingly rub her hand up his back and assure him that this week was going to be easy. It was so close to the anniversary of his mother's death, she worried that coming here would not be the best idea. But he told her repeatedly that this is what he wanted to do.

He grabbed her bag, which was shortly followed by his own, wheeling them back over to her and smiling slightly. "Luke said he was going to do a couple laps and look for us." He said, keeping a tight grip on her bag when she attempted to grab it from him, shaking his head.

She smiled at him, standing on her toes and pressing a soft kiss to his cheek, "You know, if you won't let me hold onto my own bag, I can't hold your hand."

"I'll survive for now," He informed her, grinning at her. "Don't worry, Hales, as soon as I put your bag in the car, I'll hold onto your hand."

She rolled her eyes, nudging him lightly and beginning to follow him through the airport, making sure to keep close to him.

Nathan stepped outside of the airport, looking at each car that drove past quietly.

After a few minute, he nodded. "Um... That's Karen's car I think," He told her, pointing as a car started to pull up.

Confirming his suspicions, Lucas got out of the passenger door, clearing his throat.

"Hey, little brother." He said, grinning at him, walking over and hugging him tightly.

Nathan chuckled, patting Luke on the back, "Your mom wanted to come?" He asked him quietly.

"Lily and her both wanted to see you. I think they just wanted to meet Haley," Lucas whispered in response, before parting with Nathan and smiling at Haley. "Hi, Haley!" He said, pulling her into a hug, smiling. "It's good to see you again."

Haley nodded her head, hugging him back and glancing over at Nathan, "It's good to see you too, Lucas."

Lucas stepped away from her, grabbing her carry-on off her shoulder, walking to the back of the car, setting it in the trunk, before fitting the bags that Nathan had in there as well.

"Okay, it's a little bit of a tight fit. Sorry, I tried to talk them out of coming but you know I can't say no to Lily," Lucas said, smiling at them. "So I hope you two are comfortable around each other."

"We can manage," Nathan said, pulling open the back seat, waving at Lily, who was sitting on the opposite side. "Hales, do you mind sitting in the middle?"

Haley shook her head, smiling at him and climbing into the car, taking a seat next to Lily, before Nathan followed closely behind her.

"You must be Haley," Karen said from the back seat, smiling at her. "I'm Karen, Lucas' mother."

"Nice to meet you," Haley hummed, smiling up at her. "Nathan told me a little bit about you. You own a cafe, right?"

"That's me," Karen responded, looking over at Nathan. "Hi Nathan."

"Hi, Karen," He responded, buckling his seat belt quickly, before grabbing onto Haley's hand.

"I'm Lily!" The girl next to her announced, smiling up at her.

Haley smiled, nodding at her. "Nice to meet you, Lily. I'm Haley."

"I know. We came to meet you," Lily told her, shrugging her shoulders.

Nathan chuckled quietly as Lily confirmed his suspicions, giving Haley's hand a light squeeze. He felt a little awkward being with Karen and Lily, but since his mom's passing Karen had made an effort to make him feel... Included, would be one way to put it. He usually shot down her advances, but that had not stopped her from trying.

"So, Haley, Lucas tells us you're a teacher," Karen began, smiling at her in the rear view mirror.

"Oh, yes. I love it so much. High school kids can be difficult, of course. But I love it," Haley informed her, letting out a deep breath.

"Yeah, well you've got the most difficult of the difficult high school kids sitting next to you," Lucas informed her, looking behind his seat at her.

"Luke, don't talk about your sister that way," Nathan chuckled, looking over at Lily and scrunching his nose.

"Nathan! I'm not in high school yet," Lily told him, scowling at him and shaking her head.

"Oh right! I totally forgot. You're only four," He responded, looking at her.

Haley glanced over just in time to see the young girl's face turn red, and her arms cross.

"I'm five!" She told him, shaking her head and sticking out her tongue.

"Undo it, Nate, please." Lucas begged him, looking behind the seat at Nathan.

"Your birthday is in June, you're not five yet," Nathan told her, shrugging.

"Mommy, tell him I'm five," Lily said, frowning at him. "I'm five, right Lucas?"

"Yes, Lily. You're five. Nathan is just trying to make you mad, he know's you're five," Lucas said, shaking his head.

Lily looked at Nathan, frowning. "Is that true?"

"Maybe a little," Nathan laughed, shrugging his shoulders.

Lily looked up at Haley, shaking her head, "Boys are crazy."

"I agree," Haley laughed, squeezing Nathan's hand lightly.

"Hey! What about me? I'm your favorite big brother," Lucas laughed, smiling back at her.

"You're not a boy, Lukey. You're a man," Lily informed him, looking over at Nathan. "You're a boy."

"Sucks to be you, Nathan," Lucas joked, grinning slightly.

Karen smacked Lucas' arm lightly, shaking her head. "Don't say 'suck', Lucas," She scolded him.

"Sorry," Lucas responded sheepishly, leaning back in his seat.

Haley smiled at the interaction between the people in the car with her. She found Nathan's teasing of Lily to be extremely adorable, and the teasing between the two brothers to be pretty funny. She hoped that this week in California remained a little light hearted, and was good for Nathan, instead of bad for him.

"I was thinking that we could go to lunch," Lucas suggested, bringing Haley out of her thoughts, looking back at the two of them once again.

"I kind of want to settle down a little bit before we go, if that's okay. Drop our stuff off." Nathan said, clearing his throat.

"Okay we can do that, where are you staying?" Karen asked them curiously, glancing at Nathan in the rear view mirror.

"Mom-" Lucas began, before being cut off by Nathan.

"My house," Nathan said, clearing his throat.

Silence filled the car. It was kind of an eery, uncomfortable one. One that was full of words, yet no one was saying anything.

"Oh?" Karen finally said, nodding her head. "Perfect."

"It's clean, don't worry," Nathan said, attempting to put a light hearted spin on it. "I have someone clean it up every month."

"Okay, well I can definitely drop you two off there," Karen said, clearing her throat and nodding.

The rest of the car ride went a little quietly, Lily occasionally saying something, and whoever she was talking to would respond, most of the time it being Haley.

When they pulled up to the house, Haley felt Nathan's grip tighten on her hand. He got out quickly, pulling her out with him.

Haley couldn't help but smile slightly as she looked up at the large house that brought her so many memories of the day they spent together. She knew that wasn't the memory he associated with the place, but she was going to do her best to help him remember it.

Lucas got out, looking at Karen once more, before stepping to the back of the car, lifting their bags out of the trunk. "Do you want me to go inside with you?"

"No, we're good," Nathan assured him, letting out a deep breath.

"Cool. Your car is in the garage, I gave it a quick tune up last night before dropping it back off. Still runs perfectly," Lucas assured him, resting his hand on Nathan's shoulder. "I think we're just going to eat at my mom's cafe, let us know when you're ready and we'll meet you there."

"Sounds good, thanks Luke." Nathan said, hugging him briefly. "We'll see you in a little bit."

"Yeah..." Lucas answered, looking at Haley and smiling slightly, "Have fun you two." He said, resting his hand on Haley's shoulder, before climbing into the car.

Nathan waited until the car was gone to turn and look up at the house. He glanced over at the basketball hoop to the side of the driveway, sighing softly. "Still looks the same."

"Yeah, it does." She told him, resting her hand on his arm. She stood on her toes, kissing his cheek lightly, "We can do this, Nathan."

Nathan looked down at her, cracking a small smile at her choice of words. We can do this. It was powerful to him. She wasn't forcing him to do it alone. She was supporting him.

"I know," He said, reaching into his pocket, pulling out a set of keys, stepping up to the house, dragging their stuff along with him.

He unlocked the door slowly, pushing it open and looking into the dark house.

Haley squeezed his arm, letting out a deep breath. He sat there quietly, once again, while she just waited next to him patiently.

After another moment, he stepped inside, flicking on the lights. He let her step inside behind him, before closing the door quickly, locking it.

He looked around, letting out another deep breath. "Wow." He said softly, letting go of the suitcases in his hands. "I didn't think I could do this."

"You can," Haley said softly, sending him a small smile. "It looks the same as I remember it. Do you want me to take this stuff up to your room?"

"You think you can find it?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows.

"Mhm." She hummed, resting her hand on his arm. "I'm pretty sure I can, at least."

"Yeah, I think I'm just going to look around a little," He said softly, letting out a deep breath.

"Okay," Haley said, pressing a kiss to his jaw, nudging his nose against her skin. "I'll be upstairs." She told him, giving his bicep a light squeeze.

He nodded in response, sending her a small smile, looking around the entry way, gazing at the pictures sitting on the table.

Haley smiled, finding her way to the stairs, walking up them. She walked until she found Nathan's room, sucking in a deep breath at the rush of emotions that came over her when she walked into his bedroom.

It looked the same. Same posters up on the wall, same TV sitting in there. He even had the same comforter on the bed.

She stepped forward, leaving the suitcases on the floor and taking a seat on the bed, biting down on her lip. She really hoped this trip was good for him.

It wasn't long before he entered the room, sitting down next to her quietly, letting out a deep breath.

"Thanks for coming with me." He told her, looking around the room.

Haley smiled up at him, rubbing her hand up and down his leg carefully. "Of course, Nathan," She hummed, nodding at him. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"I don't think so," He said, shrugging his shoulders. He looked at her, letting out another deep breath, "Everything in me is telling me to leave the room so that I can be alone right now. But I don't want you to go. I don't want to be alone."

She shook her head, stroking her fingers down his cheek, "I won't leave, Nathan. I won't." She assured him, biting down on her lip lightly. "Tell me what you're thinking about."

"How my mom died in this house." He mumbled, looking around the room with glazed over eyes.

"Let me tell you what I'm thinking about..." She began, pointing to his desk. "That's where we did your homework together. And on the floor, and on the bed." She chuckled, pushing her hand through his hair. "That's where you tried to do that yawn, put your arm around my shoulder." She laughed, nodding over to the couch.

"I didn't try it, I did it. And you liked it," He told her, smiling slightly.

She rolled her eyes, smiling at him. "This," She tapped the bed, "Is where we laid next to each other and talked for a couple hours about our lives. Little did I know, you had barely scratched the surface when telling me about yours."

He let out a deep breath, leaning back until he was laying against the bed, staring up at the ceiling. "I don't even know if I miss her, Hales." He said softly, squeezing his eyes shut. "I just feel so many different things when I think about her, and I can't distinguish if one of them is me missing her."

That tugged at her heart strings a little bit. This whole trip was probably going to continue to do that. As she watched Nathan revisit each difficult place, she could tell it was going to hurt him.

She followed his lead, laying back against the bed next to him, brushing her thumb over his knuckles. "Nathan..." She trailed off, letting out a deep breath and smiling at him. "If this is too hard then we can go somewhere else."

"I have to do this, Haley." He told her, letting out a deep sigh. "I want to be myself again. Or... I at least don't want to be this version of myself anymore."

She nodded her head, sending him a small smile, "Hey." She said quietly, turning his face so he was looking at her. "It's okay."

He resting his hand on hers, searching her eyes for a moment, clearing his throat. "We should go," He said, sighing softly. "Luke is going to get hangry."

She nodding at him, brushing her fingers down his cheek, "Okay," She responded, sitting up slowly. "Is there anything you need?"

He looked up at her, sitting up as well, smiling at her. "No," He shook his head, standing to his feet.

She stood up, wrapping her arms around him, pressing a soft kiss to his lips, "Okay, then I'm good to go."

"You can see my mustang," He informed her, grabbing onto her hand.

"Oh, I can't wait," She laughed, giving his hand a light squeeze.

"Yeah, it's a few years old, my dad gave it to me when he was trying to bribe me to stay at his house," He informed her, tugging her out of the room quickly, desperately wanting to get out of the room.

xxxx

"Are you okay?" Haley whispered to him as they got out of his car, biting her lip lightly. She linked her arm through his, looking up at him.

"Yeah... This is just weird," He sighed, shaking his head. "Karen is nice, but I don't really like hanging out here." He admitted, glancing down at her.

"We don't have to-" She started to say, before he cut her off.

"Luke invited us," Nathan said, clearing his throat. He looked up at the building, nodding his head, "Okay let's go."

She squeezed his arm lightly, tugging him into the small cafe slowly, wanting to give him a little bit of time to change his mind.

He grabbed the door, pulling it open for her to step through, smiling slightly and letting out a deep breath. He smiled slightly when he saw Lily sitting at a table, talking to Lucas.

She looked up at him and nodding her head, letting out a deep breath. Maybe she should be nervous that she was hanging out with his... Family? For the first time, but she couldn't even think of anything but how nervous he was to be here.

They slowly made there way over to the table, sitting down across from Lucas and Lily.

"Hey guys," Luke said, nodding at them, smiling slightly.

"Hi Lucas," Haley responded, nodding at him. "Hi Lily."

"Hi Haley," Lily hummed, flashing her a grin. "Did you know that Nathan is my cousin but Lucas is my brother? And Lucas is Nathan's brother too."

Haley chuckled, looking over at Nathan. Quite the family tree, and an interesting way to start a conversation.

When she opened her mouth to respond, Lily had already started talking again.

"Do you have any brothers?" Lily asked her, raising her eyebrows.

Haley smiled at her, nodding her head, "Yeah, I have three brothers," She told the five year old, her hand finding Nathan's under the table. "And three sisters."

"Wow!" Lily gaped at her, her eyes wide. "That's a lot."

"It sure is," Haley said, nodding her head and smiling. "But I like them, so it's fun."

"I can barely handle two, and they weren't my siblings until later in life," Lucas joked, wrapping his arm around Lily's chair, smiling at her.

"Funny," Nathan laughed, rolling his eyes. He looked over at Haley and smiled slightly, "Haley is just better than everyone. You could never handle that many siblings, Luke."

"I handled you, and you had your friends try to beat me up as often as you could," Lucas told him, shrugging his shoulders.

"Yeah, maybe I'll call up Tim and see if he's still willing," Nathan responded, smirking slightly.

"I'm sure he's been sitting around waiting for you," Lucas said, leaning back in his chair.

"You guys used to fight?" Lily asked them with wide eyes, looking between them.

Lucas laughed, looking at Nathan and shrugging, "Maybe a little, Lily. But we're friends now."

Haley laughed at the interaction between them. Despite the fact that the two of them had not always gotten along, or the fact that Nathan was horrible at calling Lucas back, or responding to any of his messages... There was a deep love and respect that ran between them. It warmed her heart. She liked seeing Nathan interact with other people. He had a certain charm to him.

Nathan smiled as he felt Haley watching him, giving her hand a light squeeze before looking over at her.

It hit him. Right in that moment. Their eyes met, and he felt his heart flutter and his stomach twist.

It felt different now. Very different. He'd had the butterflies around her before... But this was a weird feeling. One that scared him. A little. A lot... He wasn't sure. But... Wow. It shook him.

Haley brought him from his thoughts, her eyebrows raised.

'Are you okay?' She mouthed to him, offering him a small smile.

Nathan nodded his head, clearing his throat. "Yeah, I'm fine." He responded, letting out a deep breath. "I'll be right back. Order for me if she comes by, okay?" He said, standing up quickly, nearly knocking his chair over. He pressed a kiss to her head, before walking outside.

Lucas frowned slightly as he watched Nathan exit the cafe, his gaze then landing on Haley. She looked a little worried about him, maybe even a little tired.

"Lily, can you go tell Mom that we're getting impatient?" Lucas joked, looking down at his sister and smiling.

"She won't like that," Lily responded, shrugging her shoulders and hopping off her chair, rushing away.

"Wait, I- Ah, forget it..." Lucas chuckled, shaking his head. He looked over at Haley. "Hey..." He trailed off, clearing his throat and smiling at her. "You alright?"

Haley nodded her head quickly, glancing out towards the door. "Yeah, of course... I just don't know where he's going."

"You don't have to do this, Haley," Lucas told her quickly, letting out a deep breath. "This is really hard for me to say, because it's been a long time since I've seen him like this. But you don't have to do this."

Haley looked at him quickly, nodding her head and offering him a small smile, "I know, Lucas." She told him, nodding again, "I want to."

"Good," He let out a breath of relief, smiling. "How are things going? Is it okay if I ask that?"

"He's your brother, Luke. You have a right to be worried about him," Haley assured him. "I actually think he's doing well. He seems happy."

"He does seem happy," Lucas said, nodding at her. "You do too. I mean, I don't know you all that well, but you seem happy."

"He makes me very happy," Haley told him, smiling and letting out a deep breath. "Where do you think he went?"

"I'm not sure, but he'll be back," Lucas hummed, nodding at her.

"So, since you've asked me some questions, it's my turn to ask you a thing or two," Haley said, smirking at him.

"Oh no, you've been spending too much time with Nathan, you're starting to make some of his facial expressions," Lucas laughed, shaking his head and looking at her. "Let me guess... Brooke Davis."

"She may tell me a thing or two, but it's my job as her best friend to learn everything I can from you too," Haley laughed, smiling at him. "So?"

"She's funny," He told her, nodding his head. "She makes me laugh. Lindsey isn't too happy though, because I spend so much time typing on my phone that I don't have any time to type on my computer."

"She might be stopping you from writing for now, but you never know... She might just be your next inspiration," Haley hummed, smiling at him.

"She's very inspiring, that's for sure." Lucas said, nodding quickly. "I don't know, we haven't met in person but I have a lot of fun talking to her. I'm heading to New York in two weeks, we're planning on going out."

"She's even more amazing in person than she is over text message, trust me." Haley assured him, a grin on her face. "She's the best. If you hurt her, I'll be forced to make Nathan kick your ass."

"Hey, if you hurt Nathan I'll force Brooke to kick your ass," Lucas responded, winking at her.

"Brooke would never," Haley said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Nathan would nev- Okay, he probably would," He laughed, smiling at her. "I'm glad to hear that he's doing well. Do you think that maybe, if I can talk him into it, one of these days I could steal him from you for a couple of hours?"

"Of course," She responded quickly, nodding her head. "I think I can manage without him for a few hours. No more than five, of course."

"Never," He chuckled, shaking his head. "Do you want me to go look for him?"

"No, he'll be alright," Haley assured him, nodding her head. "He probably just needed some fresh air."

"When I invited him to come home, I didn't think he actually would," Lucas told her, shrugging his shoulders.

"Honestly, I didn't think he would do it either," She admitted, shaking her head. "I hope it's good for him."

"Me too," He said, sighing softly and letting out a deep breath. "The way I see it, it could either go well or horribly wrong. I think... That before you, it would've gone horribly wrong. But before you, I don't know if I ever would've been able to convince him to come."

She smiled slightly, letting out a deep breath and glancing towards the door. She could see Nathan through the window once again. He was on the phone, staring at the ground and kicking at the sidewalk.

Lucas followed her gaze, voicing her thoughts out loud, "Probably talking to Clay," He said, clearing his throat.

"Maybe," She said, nodding her head and sighing softly, tapping her fingers on the table.

"You went to Stanford, didn't you?" Lucas changed the subject away from Nathan, raising his eyebrows at her.

"Yes, I did. I haven't been back to California since I graduated," She hummed, smiling slightly. "But I love it here."

"It has a nice vibe, doesn't it?" Lucas chuckled, shaking his head. "I used to do my best writing here. Now I do much better when I'm away."

She raised her eyebrows, looking at him. "Why do you think that is?"

"I get too distracted. My mom is here, and Lily." He responded, letting out a deep breath. "They might be leaving soon, though."

"Really?" She asked, nodding her head slowly.

"Yeah. I haven't had the chance to tell Nathan yet, but my mom actually just recently got engaged. I think she's been wanting to get out of here for awhile, but this has been the only home she's ever known pretty much," He said, clearing his throat. "I'm happy for her, though. That's for sure."

"That's so exciting," Haley responded, smiling at him. "What do you think she's going to do with the cafe?"

"I think she might sell it. She might hire someone else to run it, I'm not sure. I think after they get married, they're just going to travel for awhile," Lucas informed her, glancing over to where his mom was talking to Lily. "Maybe I'll be able to get some writing done."

"Well, you're always welcome in Tree Hill. That might be the perfect spot for you to write," She informed him, looking towards the door when Nathan stepped back in. She smiled at him when he sat down next to her, wrapping his arm around the back of her chair.

She just wanted to snuggle up next to him. She could feel the heat radiating off him that had been caused by the sun.

A minute later, Karen walked over with Lily.

"Lucas, I'm so sorry to be an inconvenience to you," Karen said, smacking the back of his head lightly. "Now that Nathan's back, are you ready to order?"

xxxx

Following their lunch, they'd gone to Karen's house to watch Lily while Karen was still at work.

Haley grinned at the sound of Nathan's laughter as Lucas told a story about the first time they played one on one against each other.

"And he has these goons come try and beat me up so I wouldn't make it to the game," Lucas says, rolling his eyes and shaking his head.

"It almost worked too," Nathan laughed, brushing his fingers over Haley's shoulder, rolling his eyes.

"Then I beat his ass," Lucas said simply, shrugging. "And I didn't quit the team."

"And you technically won Peyton." Nathan said, shaking his head.

"You two bet on a girl? That's horrible!" Haley said, smacking Nathan's leg.

"It didn't mean anything, I didn't give her up... Well, until she dumped me anyways." Nathan told her, shaking his head. "Officially dumped me. We'd broken up about eighty times though."

"And I was so happy. I'd liked Peyton for years and she was finally giving me the time of day," Lucas said, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, well... You owe me one, because she probably wouldn't have if I didn't make you such a big deal," Nathan chuckled, shaking his head at him, taking a drink of his water bottle.

"You two are horrible," Haley said, shaking her head. "I can't believe that those are all true stories in your book. I thought it was fiction, you know? And now I find out that my boyfriend actually tried everything he could to make his brother's life miserable."

"The total package, right?" Nathan chuckled, hugging her into his side. "No, the good stories are true too. We really did become friends. Luke was my support system." He said, clearing his throat and shifting slightly.

"Aw, how sweet," Lucas mocked him, offering him a grin. "Just looking out for my little brother."

"Uh-huh," Nathan rolled his eyes, letting out a deep breath. "What have you been up to, Luke?"

"Just been messing around, really... Don't tell Lindsey, of course," He chuckled in response.

"Lindsey..." Nathan trailed off, scratching his head lightly. "Your editor, right?"

"You finally remember that," Lucas laughed, nodding at him. "Yeah, I tell her that I'm working hard. But lately I've been spending more time with Lily than I have been at my computer."

"They grow up too fast," Haley told him, shaking her head. "My oldest niece is ten, and I remember when she was a baby. I miss that so much, y'know? I hold babies all the time, because it seems like my siblings are all popping them out constantly, and I love them all so much... But there's nothing quite like how it felt when I held Evelyn for the first time." She said, smiling at Lucas and nodding her head. "That sounds horrible. I love all of them," She laughed, glancing over at Nathan, "What I mean is- work will always be there, it's important to spend time with the people you love because they may not be. And I'm rambling now so I'll shut up."

Nathan smiled at her, leaning over and pressing a kiss to the side of her head, giving her arm a soft squeeze, leaning back in his chair.

"That's kind of how I see it too," Lucas said, nodding his head. "I feel like my work matters to me, but people matter to me more. So I should try and spend time with Lily and be her fun brother instead of her workaholic brother. You know... Pick her up from preschool and take her on ice cream dates, things like that."

"That's so cute," Haley said, grinning at him. "My dad used to do things like that for me. Not very often, because there were a lot of us, of course. But he tried. They were gone a lot when I was the only kid home, but it happened more often then. Now Nathan picks me up from school and takes me on dates," She joked, sending him an affectionate glance.

Nathan scrunched his nose up at her, grinning in her direction.

And there it was again, the butterflies. The heart skipping a beat. Oh god, this was turning into a chick flick type scenario.

She'd asked him earlier if he was alright, and when he asked her why she was concerned, she'd told him his heart was beating quickly. He'd thrown out the cheesy line of "it's what happens when I'm around you" and she'd just rolled her eyes and smiled. Even with the lighthearted tone, there was truth to his words. She made his heart race.

"I never would've thought that Nathan would be so..." Lucas trailed off, searching for the right word.

"Back off, Luke," Nathan said, shaking his head and letting out a deep breath.

"He's the best," Haley hummed out, resting her hand on Nathan's leg under the table they were sitting at.

"Oh, believe me. I know how great Nathan is. Don't let that get to your head, Nate," Lucas laughed, shrugging his shoulders. "I've heard all about it. But I've never witnessed it."

"Let's stop talking about me," Nathan groaned, rolling his eyes. "What about you, Luke? Miss Brooke Davis is a catch."

"Haley and I already talked about it," Lucas hummed, nodding his head. "She sure is something else. I like her. Thanks for giving her my number."

"Look, I'm Mr. Romantic, and now I'm playing matchmaker... What have you done to me, Haley James?" He groaned, looking over at her and shaking his head.

"I've made you a softie, Nathan Scott." She responded, resting her hand on his cheek. "You're welcome."

"I didn't say thank you," He teased her, shaking his head and smiling.

"You didn't have to, sweetheart," She responded, leaning into his side, shrugging her shoulders lightly.

"I'm going to gag," Lucas laughed, shaking his head. "Too much mushiness. It's weird."

"It's not that weird," Nathan said, shaking his head and glancing down at Haley.

"You not pouting? Yeah, it's weird." Lucas told him, laughing and shrugging his shoulders.

"I was never pouty..." Nathan trailed off, looking over at Haley.

"Should we talk about Clay's wedding when you were pouting outside?" Lucas questioned him, raising his eyebrows.

"No," Nathan cut him off, shaking his head and frowning. "Okay, I'm a little pouty."

"Haley, back me up," Lucas said, nodding towards him. "More than a little."

Haley smiled at Nathan, shrugging her shoulders slightly. "I'm going to stay out of this." She decided, leaning back against her chair.

"I already agreed, there's nothing to get into," Nathan said, shaking his head.

Lucas chuckled quietly, tapping his fingers on the table, "How are Quinn and Clay doing?"

"Clay still likes her, so that's a bonus," Nathan joked, before being smacked by Haley.

"They're doing so amazing," Haley hummed, shaking her head. "Nathan talks to Clay more than she does probably."

"It's hard, we're not even in the same state. I haven't seen him since I came back to Tree Hill," Nathan said, frowning slightly.

"You FaceTime each other plenty when you think I'm asleep," Haley said, shaking her head and laughing.

"They did that when they lived together too, they'd play video games in separate rooms and be talking to each other in there-"

"Lucas!" Nathan cut him off, shaking his head quickly. "Stop."

"As if I didn't know that, Nathan..." Haley laughed, resting her hand on the back of his head, tangling her fingers in his hair. "Quinn has told me a little bit about the things you and Clay used to do."

"They have a very unique relationship," Lucas hummed, grinning at Nathan.

"It's nothing all that special," Nathan said, shaking his head and sighing softly.

"I find it very endearing, Nathan. You're close with your best friend," Haley assured him, nodding. "He's helped you through some hard times. I love my best friend just the same."

"Suck it, Lucas," Nathan grumbled, glaring at him. "You aren't close with anyone but Peyton."

"Yikes," Lucas said, shaking his head. "Not true, but okay."

"Tell me more about Peyton," Haley said, crossing her arms and leaning forward.

"She's nice," Lucas said, glancing at Nathan and shrugging his shoulders slightly. "Nathan used to date her, but she was really into me."

"Because gave a shit about her art, I just wanted to-" Nathan stopped himself, clearing his throat. "Have a nice conversation about the weather."

Haley shook her head, rolling her head and laughing, "Right. Because all of the people at this table are buying that."

"I dated her for awhile, but it just didn't feel as right as we thought it would. So we kind of split as a mutual thing. Now she's one of my really good friends," Lucas told her, smiling. "I think you two would probably get along, honestly. Maybe you just... Got off on the wrong foot."

"I have no hard feelings against her, I promise." Haley said, shaking her head. "I'd like to see her again, if she's still here. Maybe have a reintroduction."

"I think that can be arranged," Lucas hummed, nodding at her. "She really is great. She cares a lot about the people around her. Probably best to stay on her good side though."

"Yeah, she's a real bitch if you get on her bad side..." Nathan grumbled, shaking his head and rolling his eyes.

"You're one to talk," Lucas defended her, scowling slightly.

"Trust me, I know," Nathan said, smirking slightly, crossing his arms and leaning back in is chair.

"You just have the habit of getting on people's bad sides, Nathan." Haley told him, shrugging her shoulders.

"I do not," Nathan said, shaking his head.

"Yes you do, Nate. You don't like to keep your mouth shut," Lucas informed him, chuckling quietly.

"Dammit, I don't like you two being a team," Nathan laughed in response, smiling at Haley. "We're the team, let's make fun of Lucas instead."

"Pass," Lucas said, shaking his head. "Not much to mock me for anyways."

"What about the little squint thing you always do, hm? You're going to have wrinkles from it in the next three years," Nathan pointed out, shrugging his shoulders.

"That's not much help to you, either, honey." Haley said to him, raising her finger up and brushing it along the corner of his eye. "You smile with your eyes."

"Ha!" Lucas laughed, nodding his head. "And when I go gray, I can hide it in the blonde. Yours will be noticeable. I guess the older brother really is superior."

Nathan rolled his eyes, laughing quietly and shaking his head. "You suck, Luke..." He shot back, sighing.

"Great comeback, Nathan. That's a winner," Lucas teased him, leaning back in his chair and laughing.

"Look at you. Now you're bullying me," Nathan said, wrapping his arm around the back of Haley's chair, fake sighing.

Haley smiled over at him, shivering lightly when she felt his fingertips brush over her neck. "I thought it was a good comeback," She offered, shrugging.

"Thanks, baby..." He hummed, winking at her. "You're the best." He shifted slightly in his seat, looking over at his brother. "How's Whitey?" He asked casually, his gaze shifting to the table.

"He's doing surprisingly well," Lucas laughed, nodding his head. "He's grumpy as hell."

"He's always been grumpy as hell," Nathan said, chuckling quietly.

"Are you going to see him?" Lucas asked him, raising his eyebrows.

Nathan shrugged his shoulders lightly, "I don't know. Maybe. I haven't decided yet..."

"You should," Lucas told him simply, nodding his head. "He'd probably like to see you."

Nathan cleared his throat, glancing at Haley, "I don't know. We'll see." He stated, leaning back. "Did you tell him I was coming?"

"No," Lucas responded, shaking his head. "I figured I would let you decide if he knew or not."

"Thanks," Nathan said, sighing softly.

"My mom should be home pretty soon. Are you guys going to stay?" Lucas asked him, raising his eyebrows.

Haley looked up at Nathan, waiting for him to respond. She wouldn't mind staying and getting to know more about the people in this odd situation, but she knew he would be a little uncomfortable.

Nathan glanced over at her, tilting his head from side to side as if he was weighing his options, before glancing over at Lucas. "Sure..." H trailed off, nodding slowly.

xxxx

Nathan looked around his bedroom, letting out a deep breath. It was practically untouched. Maybe a little bit neater than it had been when he'd last seen it, which had been before his mother passed away.

When he'd been here last, he'd stayed in a hotel with Clay so that Clay could literally help him do any basic thing that he couldn't do because of his wheelchair.

He felt like such a chump bringing his adult girlfriend home to a bedroom with Eminem posters on the wall.

He couldn't even imagine what other things she would find if she looked around the room a bit more. Probably some pretty embarrassing stuff. Hell, there she would probably even find some old pictures of Peyton he had stored somewhere. Or the half naked ones that Rachel had stuffed in his locker. Maybe even a sex tape or two. Horrifying. He definitely should have chosen a different room for them to stay in. Maybe he'd send her off for a little while tomorrow and clean the teenage boy out of his bedroom.

Not that she'd go snooping or anything. But he didn't want that stuff in here anymore.

He glanced towards her, his gaze landing on her bare back, a small smile forming on his face. He brushed his fingertips over her shoulder blade, leaning over and pressing a light kiss to her skin.

She took care of him. She always did. Haley always knew what he was needing. Since he'd opened his world to her, it was like she knew him inside and out all of the sudden. They'd been going out for about two months, but it felt like longer.

His smile grew slightly, pressing a light kiss to the crook of her neck. She was so perfect. He almost wanted to wake her up so he could hear her voice. But she was just as perfect in her sleep, and she definitely needed it.

He felt a little restless, though. Maybe it due to the fact that his super hot girlfriend was laying next to him with only a sheet and comforter covering her body. Maybe it was because he was in the house where his mother killed herself, and his murderer of a father tore him to shreds.

He sighed lightly, flattening his palm over Haley's back once again, kissing her arm lightly. He scooted forward, his head rested on the pillow beneath her head, chest pressed against her back.

He needed to sleep. Haley had been asleep for... He found the alarm clock on his night stand with ease. Nearly an hour already. And he'd laid awake, his mind occupied with how they were going to survive this week. And filled with thoughts of her.

It was always filled with thoughts of her. Even when he was with her, he was thinking about her.

It only took a second for something to click in his mind, and then one more second for him to shoot up into a sitting position.

After glancing down to make sure she didn't wake up, he let himself listen to his thoughts.

He was in love with her.

In such a short time... He'd fallen in love with her.

He didn't recognize it at first, because he'd never felt it. Not this way.

Nathan Scott was in love with Haley James.


	21. Chapter 21

**I have a feeling this chapter might be a little bit upsetting to some of you. I want you to keep in mind that both Nathan and Haley are going to go through some ups and downs. What can I say, as much as I love smooth sailing, I have a lot of fun writing a bumpy road. Thank you so much for reading!**

 **Chapter 21**

Nathan bit down on the tip of his thumb, pacing his childhood room. He wasn't even worried about being in this room or this house at the moment.

He felt nervous as hell about what he'd admitted to himself. He could hardly sleep at all throughout the night.

In love?

He'd never been in love. He wasn't even sure he'd ever wanted to be in love.

He was in love.

His eyes narrowed in on Haley, and his panic subsided. At least he was in love with the most amazing girl in the world.

Shit. That was a good feeling that shot through him. The electricity at even the thought of being in love with Haley.

She was only sleeping. But damn. She was gorgeous. Hair fanned out across the pillow. There was a little bit of light shining through the opening in the curtains, shining on her, which he figured would probably wake her up soon.

His gaze shifted to the curtains, and he felt the panic rise in him again.

There's no way he could tell her... Right?

They had not been dating for that long. He wasn't exactly sure when the appropriate time to tell someone something that big.

No, he wasn't going to tell her.

Nope.

That definitely wasn't going to happen.

He wasn't going to say anything to anyone.

Nathan shook his head, forcing himself to look at Haley once again. She calmed him. He just needed to... Stare at her all day?

He wasn't in love. No, not yet.

Maybe someday he would be.

His gaze shifted to her once again, sucking in a deep breath.

He turned around again after a second, staring around his room once again. He could convince himself that he wasn't. He was getting so attached to her. Falling in love was maybe... Too attached. So he couldn't fall in love.

"Hey, you. Take off all your clothes and get back in bed," Haley hummed from the bed, sitting up a little bit, blinking up at him.

Nathan froze in his spot, keeping his gaze focused on the wall.

Yeah, he was in love with her.

He turned around after a second, a small smile forming on his face.

Without another word, he tugged his t-shirt over his head, tossed it to the side and made his way over to the bed.

xxxx

Haley looked over at her fidgeting boyfriend. He wouldn't stop moving, and looked like he was in some type of daze. She'd rested her hand on his arm during breakfast earlier that morning, and he'd jumped about ten feet in the air and sent her a panicked expression.

She couldn't figure out what was wrong with him. When they'd gone to bed last night, he was acting fine. When she'd woken up this morning, he'd acted fine. But once they hit breakfast, he seemed zoned out and distracted.

He'd briefly mentioned doing something with Lucas, but that was most he'd said to her, besides the basic one word answers.

Now she was sitting next to him on the couch, watching him play some video game on an older console that she couldn't put a name to, but she remembered her and her siblings playing on it occasionally when they were younger.

He was playing a basketball game with pretty horrible graphics, but he was enthralled by it.

Haley sighed softly, glancing down at the book she was reading, before closing it and setting it to the side, picking up a picture that was rested on the table to the side of the couch.

It was a picture of a younger Nathan, she guessed probably around thirteen with an older man with dark hair.

"Who is this?" She asked him softly, looking at him and raising her eyebrows.

Nathan glanced over at the frame in her hand, before his gaze flickered quickly back to the TV.

It took him a minute to answer, which annoyed Haley a little bit because she thought he was ignoring her question.

"My Uncle Cooper," He responded, clearing his throat.

"Good looking. Must be where you get it from," She teased, poking him with her foot lightly.

Nathan cracked a smile, staring at the TV in front of him, squinting slightly.

"The race car driver, right?" She asked him, nodding her head.

"Yep. My mom's brother," He told her, his fingers working at the joysticks, and pushing the buttons skillfully.

"How many siblings does she have?" Haley asked him, humming lightly.

"Just the one." He said, leaning back and letting out a deep breath. "He's about ten years older than me."

"Must've been fun." She said to him, looking at the picture once again, letting out a deep breath. "How old are you here?"

"Don't know," Nathan responded, sighing softly. "Probably around thirteen or so."

"When I was thirteen, I was rocking braces and a turtleneck," She informed him, smiling slightly. She set the picture on the table, scooting over to him.

"I'm sure you looked beautiful," Nathan told her, glancing over in her direction, nodding at her.

She laughed, resting her hand on the back of his neck, pressing a kiss to the side of his head. "Thank you."

"You'll have to show me some pictures. I think you skipped over those ones when you were showing me the others," He chuckled, glancing over at her.

"We'll see. Let me play." She hummed, grabbing the controller out of his hand, turning and looking at the TV.

He looked over at her and nodding slowly, explaining how to play the game to her so quickly, so that not a single regrettable word could leave his mouth.

It had not even been twenty-four hours since he decided that he was in love with her, and he literally had to bite his tongue from telling her multiple times.

This was going to be a long week. After this, he might need to take a little trip back to New York and distance himself from Haley a little bit.

He watched her play the video game that he grew up playing, trying to suppress the thought of love, but what was the point? He was practically bursting with pride that the girl next to him was the one that he loved.

But he was only going to tell her if she told him. He'd never told anyone that, and he didn't want to scare her away.

He leaned over, pressing a kiss to the side of her head while she played, smiling as she tilted her head in his direction, leaning towards him.

He was so screwed. There was no way he couldn't tell her how much he loved her.

xxxx

The voice behind her hurt her ears, honestly. It was shrill, and high pitched, and way to annoying to be yelling her boyfriend's name across the mall.

Nathan's head snapped in the direction of his name. He let out a small sigh, glancing at Haley, before pinning a forced smile onto his face.

"Who is that?" Haley whispered, to him, glancing up in her direction. "Oh, she's coming over."

"Yeah," He said, his arm dropping from around her shoulders to his side. "That's Rachel."

"Rachel..." She trailed off, looking up at him and clearing her throat. "I guess even in bigger cities you run into old friends from high school."

"I guess," He responded, glancing over at Rachel once again.

As Rachel approached them, Nathan's smile turned into a smirk almost... Instinctively.

Yep, Haley definitely didn't like that.

"Nathan! I didn't know you were going to be in town!" Rachel rushed up to him, smiling brightly at him.

She was yelling almost as loud as she had when they were across the mall from each other. Haley had to force herself not to cover her ears.

"Yeah," Nathan responded, clearing his throat and nodding at her.

"Well, come here, stud," Rachel said, wrapping her arms around Nathan, pulling him into a tight hug.

Nathan raised his hand, patting her back, letting the hug last about four seconds, before stepping away.

"What are you doing here, Rachel?" Nathan asked her, clearing his throat.

"You know me, Nathan. I love the mall," Rachel hummed, gesturing around, batting her eyelashes up at him.

"Believe me, I know..." Nathan responded, smirking slightly, shoving his hands into his pockets.

Haley raised her eyebrows, glancing between the pair. She frowned slightly at the flirtatious interaction.

"I'm actually a model, which I'm sure is no surprise," Rachel informed him, winking at him. "What are you doing in town?"

He nodded his head, looking down at her. "Just visiting Lucas. Been awhile since I've been back here."

Rachel took a very subtle step closer to him, resting her hand on his shoulder. "It's good that you spend time with Lucas."

"Yeah..." Nathan trailed off, clearing his throat. "So do you live here?"

"Pretty close, yeah. But I like this mall. I can't believe we're both here at the same time! I have seen you since the summer after graduation." Rachel purred out, brushing her hand over his shoulder. "Do you remember how much fun we had?"

"Sure..." He trailed off, letting out a deep breath. "Interesting how we both ended up here."

"Isn't it?" She hummed, licking her lips slowly.

What. The. Hell.

Haley watched as Nathan flicked his gaze to her mouth, before back to her eyes.

Okay... What the hell? She definitely didn't like this. The fact that Nathan had not given her a second glance since this girl walked up... Yeah, no. That was not a good sign. Stupid bitch.

"I was so sorry to hear about your mom," Rachel said, rubbing her hand down his arm, briefly holding onto his hand before dropping it. "I tried to reach out but you never answered. Did you change your number?"

"Uh... Nope." He said, rubbing the back of his head, shoving his hands back into his pockets.

Haley watched the slightly defeated look on Rachel's face, inwardly rolling her eyes. This girl screamed horny and desperate. Desperate for her boyfriend.

With that, she stepped forward, holding out her hand.

"Hi, I'm Haley," She said, a smile appearing on her face.

Nathan looked at her quickly, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "Right, uh... This is my girlfriend Haley." He told Rachel, squeezing Haley's shoulder lightly.

"Haley..." Rachel trailed off, nodding slowly. She shook her hand, letting out a deep breath. "It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise," Haley said, looking up at Nathan.

Nathan sighed softly, glancing down at her, before looking over at Rachel. "We better get going, Rach. It was nice seeing you."

"Wait!" Rachel said quickly, grabbing his arm. "Maybe we should... Get together while you're in town? Catch up a little. I've been up to a lot of interesting things..." She trailed off, winking at him.

"We'll see." Nathan said, nodding at her and letting out a small sigh. "Hales?"

"Mhm, let's go home," She said, sliding her hand around his waist, letting her hand slip into his back pocket.

Nathan raised his eyebrows, glancing down at her, sending her a nervous smile. "Bye Rachel."

"Bye Nathan," Rachel responded, batting her eyelashes, nodding at him.

"Bye," Haley cut in, turning them around quickly, beginning to hurry towards the exit.

Nathan looked over at Haley once they were in the car, clearing his throat and looking down at the steering wheel. "Haley..."

"Hm?" Haley asked, looking over at him and crossing her arms and raising her eyebrows.

"You're mad," He stated, nodding at her.

"No, I'm not." She defended herself, shaking her head.

"I'm sorry-"

"It's fine, Nathan." She cut him off, letting out a deep breath. "Actually, you know what? It's not fine."

"I'm sorry, Haley. What else do you want me to say?" He asked her, shrugging his shoulders.

"I don't know, Nathan. Maybe it's not about what you say? Maybe it's about how often you say it. Maybe it's about how often I just dismiss the things you do," Haley said, shrugging her shoulders and leaning back in her seat, sighing softly.

"What do you mean by that?" He asked her, frowning and shaking his head.

"I mean... Why the hell did you just give your ex girlfriend a stare down while I was standing right next to you?" She asked him, rolling her eyes.

"I didn't give her a stare down, and she wasn't my girlfriend." He stopped her, letting out a deep breath.

"Oh yeah? Then what was she?" She questioned him, tilting her head to the side.

"You know what, never mind..." He trailed off, letting out a deep breath. "For years, I was that guy, Haley. And all of the sudden, I'm trying to be a different guy that you want me to be. You can't just expect me after years of being that guy to be this other guy."

"So you knew what you were doing. Okay," Haley said, shaking her head and sighing.

"No, Haley. I forgot you were standing there- I mean... No, that's not what I meant." He sighed, running his hand through his hair.

Haley let out a deep breath, resting her hand on Nathan's leg, looking at him and nodding her head. "Am I forcing you to be someone you're not, Nathan?"

Nathan's eyes connected with hers, feeling his heart start thumping again. God, whoever said that brown eyes were the worst color of eyes had obviously never dated anyone with brown eyes. They were warm, and inviting. In the midst of an argument, he looked at her and the only feeling that overwhelmed him was the feeling of love.

He bit down on his tongue to stop himself from announcing his feelings, shaking his head.

"Okay. Good. I don't want you to be someone you don't want to be, Nathan. I just... Don't want you to stare at other girls. Let me know if I'm asking too much, because I can take a couple steps back." She said in a sarcastic tone, sending him a forced smile.

He shook his head again, trying to swallow the lump in his throat. He opened his mouth to say something, before shaking his head again.

"So who is she? Someone you just fooled around with?" She asked him, shrugging her shoulders.

"Does it matter?" He asked her softly, letting out a deep breath. "I'm with you, Haley."

Haley sighed, looking out the window and leaning back in her seat, "Let's just go back to your house, Nathan."

"What about the beach?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows and frowning.

"I just want to lay down. I have a headache. We can go to the beach later today, or tomorrow. Or another day. We've only been here one day, and we've both lived here before so it's not like we haven't been to all these places." She said, keeping her gaze focused out the window.

Nathan nodded his head, moving to grab onto her hand but stopping himself, letting out a small sigh, beginning to drive home.

xxxx

"I just don't know what to do..." Nathan trailed off, groaning into the phone and shaking his head. "What do you two think?"

"Well..." Clay began, clearing his throat.

"So you were hitting on the red head. Right in front of Haley?" Quinn cut him off, letting out a loud sigh.

"A little bit. Not really, but..."

"This is the red head that texted you pictures of her for the first few weeks of school?" Clay questioned him.

"Yeah. She's a model or something now..." Nathan sighed, rubbing his neck.

"Don't say the 'or something.' You know damn well she's a model," Quinn said into the phone.

"So... This is the second time you've hit on other girls in the presence of Haley?" Clay asked him, rubbing his neck. "The first being Taylor at our wedding, and now Rachel."

"Shit. I'm a pig," Nathan groaned, pressing his face into his hands. "I didn't know that Taylor was a James. That was different."

"He's right, Clay. That was different," Quinn cut in once again. "If you don't mind me asking, Nathan... What were your thoughts when you saw Rachel approaching?"

"There was a cycle that ran through my head," He sighed, kicking his foot at the ground.

"Was one of them: Shit, that girl looks damn fine. I'd like to eat that up?" Quinn asked him, making her voice sound lower.

"That's not what he sounds like. And why is that the phrase you would suggest?" Clay asked her, laughing.

"I had a brief thought that passed through my head that she looked nice. Not hot, or beautiful, just nice." Nathan responded, dropping his head. "I suck."

"A little bit. But that's okay, Nathan. You're learning..." Quinn assured him, sighing again. "Pro tip though, try not to look down at someone's lips when they lick them. I'm guessing that's where it bothered her the most. Besides the fact that you forgot she was standing next to you. When Rachel did something she thought was sexy, and you responded in a way that made her think she is sexy, you're doing something wrong."

"Wise words," Clay said, clearing his throat. "And I wouldn't hang out with her this week either."

"What do I do to smooth things over, guys? How can I fix this? I didn't mean to... I think Haley is the best, and I don't want to screw things up, I mean god, I'm so in love with her and I just think that she's way out of my league. I don't know what to do. How can I fix this?" Nathan asked them quickly, waiting for a response but all he got was silence.

"What did you say?" Quinn asked him after a minute.

"How can I fix this?" Nathan repeated, letting out a deep breath.

"Before that." Clay cut in.

"She's way out of my league?" Nathan offered, rolling his eyes.

"Even before that." Quinn urged him, chuckling quietly.

Nathan thought back, freezing slightly. "Shit." He said, clearing his throat. "Shit, shit, shit. You two better keep your mouths shut. Do not tell her I said that."

"Quinn! Did you hear that? My boy is growing up!" Clay exclaimed, highfiving his wife.

"Do you mean that, Nathan?" Quinn asked him curiously.

"Can you two shut up? It's a new found discovery that I'm obviously doing a horrible job of keeping to myself..." Nathan ran his fingers through his hair, letting out a deep breath. "Please, don't say anything to anyone. It's so soon, and I don't want to freak her out."

"I don't think she'd freak out, Nathan." Quinn assured him.

"Why? Did she say something?" He questioned her quickly, clearing his throat.

"Well... No... But Haley isn't the type of freak out when people tell her that," Quinn hummed, letting out a deep breath.

"I need help, guys. What should I do?" Nathan asked them desperately, brushing off Quinn's comments.

"Nathan, I think you're thinking too hard. I feel like you haven't made one big decision in your relationship with Haley without consulting someone first. It's your relationship for you to fix, buddy. I'm sorry, but it's not that easy." Clay stated, sighing softly.

"I agree, Nate. I'm sorry too," Quinn said, "But a word of advice, try stepping up. Instead of apologizing, make her feel like she's the only person you want to have your eyes on."

Nathan sighed, rolling his eyes and shaking his head. "You two have helped me with about nothing. You guys suck. Thanks anyways." He grumbled, hanging up the phone and tossing it aside.

He stood up after a minute, heading up the stairs towards his room, rubbing his neck lightly.

He found Haley in his bedroom, sitting down on the bed, reading her book, glasses perched on her nose.

His mouth ran dry at the sight of her. How was he supposed to apologize if he was afraid he couldn't talk with confessing his feelings?

Haley felt his intense gaze on her, but she refused to glance over at him until he was seated on the bed next to her.

What he'd said earlier, in a way... It made sense. He had lived a certain lifestyle for years, and now he was trying really hard to to reverse that, and be in a committed relationship. She understood that he was trying, but that didn't make her feel any less annoyed at him.

And he'd tried to use his past as an excuse as to why it was okay for him to ogle at other women. Yeah, okay...

If she even brought up another guy's name, she could guarantee his ears would turn red, and he'd start interrogating her.

Not to mention he'd been acting like a jerk the whole day. He was hardly making eye contact, not even talking in complete sentences. She understood that being in his hometown, in his old house was difficult for him. But there was something else going on.

He was still watching her. Half of her wanted to tell him to let her be alone for a little while, and half of her wanted to throw her book to the side and cuddle up next to him.

"I wasn't flirting with her," He finally said, letting out a deep breath.

Haley sighed softly, closing her book and smacking his arm with it.

"Hey!" He frowned, shaking his head. "I wasn't, Haley. I shut down her advances."

"She held your hand, Nathan. For a couple seconds." Haley sighed, taking her glasses off her face, setting them and her book on the nightstand. "You stared at her lips."

"What? No I didn't," He argued, crossing his arms.

"I watched you," Haley said, shaking her head and letting out a deep breath. "You didn't even introduce me, Nathan. I had to introduce myself."

"Stop it, Haley." He said, rolling his eyes. "I'm not perfect, okay? Can you accept that?"

She looked at him, pushing her hand through her hair. She reached over, grabbing his hand and looking at him.

He let out a deep breath, meeting her eyes once again. "Haley, I..." He cleared his throat, squeezing her hand. "I don't want anyone else, okay? I'm sorry, and I'm sorry that I say that a lot. But I screw up a lot. I'm trying, Haley."

"I know you are, Nathan..." She trailed off, sighing softly. "And I'm grateful for that."

Nathan stood up, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I'm going to go for a run," He informed her, letting out a deep breath. "I'll be back in a little while."

"You're just going to leave?"

"It stops me from saying things I don't want to say, Haley," He told her, nodding his head. "So, yeah... I'm just going to leave. I'll be back in a little bit."

Haley sighed, picking up her book once again, flipping it open, searching for her page. "Whatever. Just make sure you actually come back," She bit out, staring down at her book.

Nathan looked over at her, grabbing some running clothes from his suitcase, changing into them quickly, pulling on his shoes. "Call me if you need me. I'll keep my phone on."

"Mhm." Haley responded, keeping her eyes on the book and giving him a thumbs up.

Nathan let out a sigh, glancing at her and shaking his head, leaving to room slowly.

Haley rolled her eyes, glancing at the clock and sighing. This definitely wasn't how she thought their spring break together would go.

xxx

 **I just want to promise you right off the bat that Rachel won't play a huge role, and definitely won't mess up Nathan and Haley.**


	22. Chapter 22

**Okay, I really like this chapter for some reason. It was flowing, hence the fast update. Thanks for reading and reviewing! I really appreciate it.**

 **Chapter 22**

Haley looked out the window as Nathan drove, her right hand resting in her lap, her left hand, clutched tightly in the raven haired boy driving the car's hand.

They'd hardly spoken after he'd arrived home the night before. He'd arrived home, showered, and left again to pick up food. She'd scrolled through her social media feeds a couple hundred times from the pure boredom, while did literally nothing but fidget it seemed like. She never really noticed exactly how much he fidgeted, until he was shifting the whole couch, trying to get comfortable. Not to mention, he had the nerve to scoot up right next to her in bed the night prior, and spoon her after hardly talking to her for hours. Ugh, it had pissed her off. But of course, she didn't push him away, because spooning angrily was better than him not being there at all. It was such a Nathan thing to do.

When she'd woken up, he was nowhere to be found, which was not a complete surprise to her. He was always trying to get away from an argument.

He'd eventually returned a short while later from what she assumed to be another run, yielding coffee and breakfast for her, which he'd dropped on the table in front of her, then went upstairs.

Haley hated the silence that overtook the house. She hated it for herself, but she also hated it for Nathan. Because despite her annoyance with him, he was her boyfriend, and coming back here had been so difficult for him.

The problem was, the silence was working. She felt herself giving in to forgiving him quickly, because she missed him.

When he'd returned downstairs, wet hair, clean shaven, she wanted to desperately to stand up and press her nose against his jaw to feel his smooth skin on her lips. Had he not started speaking, she probably would have. He told her that he was taking her somewhere, and he really wanted her to come with him. But if she didn't want to, he understood. She'd agreed quickly, and rushed to get ready.

Once in the car, he'd grabbed her hand and held it tightly, but didn't say anything else.

So here they were, pulling up to what Haley suspected was his old high school.

She felt a little chill run up her spine as he drove up to it. This was a big part of his history, this building.

Haley looked over at him quickly, raising her eyebrows at him, glancing towards the building.

"Figured I might as well show you one of the reasons I'm so screwed up, right?" Nathan joked, looking up at it and sighing softly.

Haley shot him a dirty look, shaking her head. "I hate when you say that, Nathan. You're not screwed up."

He leaned back, letting out a deep breath and dropping her hand. "Looks like they're out for spring break too."

She nodded her head, looking around the empty parking lot, except for a few cars, which she suspected were possibly teachers, or a principal. Maybe someone to clean it.

"I met Rachel here," Nathan told her, clearing his throat.

Haley's head snapped to him, scowling slightly, "No."

"You don't want to know?" He asked her, shrugging his shoulders. "You seemed like you wanted to yesterday."

"I don't want to know," She responded, crossing her arms.

"I don't get it, Haley. I didn't get all freaked out when I met with your friends, and Skills called you baby," He said, rolling his eyes.

"A guy like you is not friends with a girl like her!" Haley said, letting out a deep sigh. "Is this why you brought me here, Nathan? This is your attempt at smoothing things over?"

"A guy like me?" Nathan asked her slowly, scowling. "Now tell me, Haley, who exactly am I?"

"It's not who you are, Nathan, it's who you used to be! It's not like I knew you or anything, but she's so gorgeous! Look me in the eyes and tell me I'm crazy. Tell me that she was just your friend, and I'll drop it," Haley said simply, nodding at him.

"She wasn't just my friend, but it wasn't like that, Haley... It was just physical..." He sighed, scratching his neck and shaking his head.

"So, what? When you were watching her lick her lips all sensually and touch your arm, and your shoulder, were you picturing her naked?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"Of course I wasn't," Nathan argued with her, letting out an annoyed sigh. "You don't get it, Haley!"

"What is there to get, Nathan? She's hot, you're hot, there's history there. If I would've walked away, would you have noticed?" She questioned him, brushing her hair to the side of her neck.

"Why are you acting like this?" He asked her, rolling his eyes. "Like you think I could just drop you in a second for another woman?"

"Because, Nathan... You didn't do anything to prove otherwise," She sighed, shaking her head.

"You won't let me," Nathan grumbled, looking at her. "It's useless. You're so stubborn."

"I'm not stubborn!" She protested, her hands gesturing around wildly. "You're stubborn."

"Why am I stubborn?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows.

"Because, this is an adult relationship, Nathan. I don't really care if you think another girl is pretty, but I do care when it makes me feel threatened. I know this isn't nothing to you, Nathan, before you accuse me of thinking that. But I know what I saw," Haley said simply, looking at him.

Nathan glanced towards the school, shrinking down a little bit when he saw someone walking towards his car. He looked over at Haley, resting his hand on the side of her head, pulling her towards him and kissing her deeply.

It took a moment for Haley to register what was going on. One second they were arguing, the he was trying to shove his tongue down her throat, and she'd almost instantly let him.

What was wrong with her? Her brain was telling her to push him back, continue their fight, but it had been like seventeen hours since she'd last kissed him and damn she'd missed the feeling of his lips on hers.

What the hell was wrong with him? Why did he think that this was acceptable to do? She really needed to shove him back and let him know that this wasn't going to just fix things.

She was about to pull back when a there was a whistle blown outside, followed by a knock at the window, causing her to jump back.

"Shit," Nathan sighed, squeezing his eyes shut and tapping his fingers on the steering wheel.

Haley looked past him at the window, raising her eyebrows at the older man looking back at her. She recognized him as Nathan's old basketball coach from the picture that he'd given her a few months ago.

After a moment, Nathan glanced over his shoulder towards the face staring at him, followed by a gesture for him to get out of the car.

Nathan looked like he was dreading this, which explained his sudden need for a make-out session, probably trying to hide his face.

Haley bit her lip lightly, unbuckling her seatbelt, pushing open the door.

Nathan frowned at her, shaking his head, watching her get out of the car. He followed her lead after turning off the car, slamming the door shut.

"Whitey," He said, offering him a small smile.

Haley watched the interaction between the two of them from the opposite side of the car, her eyes shifting from Nathan, to the older man. Nathan's posture was one that she couldn't read. She guessed he wasn't expecting to run into his old coach here.

"That brother of yours mentioned something about you being in town," Whitey said, looking at him and nodding his head.

"Yeah, well Lucas never did know when to keep his dumbass mouth shut," Nathan responded, standing up straighter and clearing his throat. He glanced over his shoulder at Haley, stepping forward and hugging Whitey quickly.

Whitey hugged him, slapping his back lightly. "I gotta say, boy... I wasn't expecting to see you around here for a long time."

"I wasn't planning on coming back," Nathan said, parting from him, looking over at Haley once again, tilting his head for her to walk over to him.

Haley walked around the car, smiling at his coach, stepping to Nathan's side. "Hi, I'm Haley," She hummed, holding out her hand.

"Brian Durham," Whitey responded, shaking her head and looking between Nathan and her.

Nathan cleared his throat, resting his hand on Haley's back, "What are you doing here, Whitey? I thought Luke was the coach now."

"He is. They're putting on some activities here for the kids who's parents work for the day, one of them is a basketball camp," Whitey responded, nodding at him.

"You willingly putting on a basketball camp, yeah right," Nathan chuckled, rolling his eyes.

"Oh no, it's not me. I was just begged to help," Whitey responded, grinning. "Why don't you come inside and see?"

"I'd rather not," Nathan said, shaking his head.

Haley looked up at him, before looking back at Whitey. She slowly rubbed her hand up Nathan's back, clearing his throat. "I want to come in," She began, looking up at Nathan. "Is that okay?"

Nathan looked down at her, sighing softly. How could he say no? He loved her so much, if she asked him to relieve his whole high school with her, he'd probably do it.

"Fine," He responded, letting out a deep breath. He looked over at Whitey, nodding. "Lead the way, Coach."

"Keep bringing her back," Whitey joked, beginning to head back into the school. "What brings you two into town?"

"Oh, I just wanted to see the place Nathan grew up," Haley hummed in response, looking over at him.

"Surprised he brought you here," Whitey laughed, resting his hand on Nathan's shoulder briefly.

"It was his idea," Haley informed him, glancing up at Nathan and smiling.

Nathan shoved his hands in front of his pockets as he looked up at the school, sighing softly. "I haven't been back here since I graduated."

"I didn't think I'd end back here either, but here I am," Whitey said, shaking his head.

"Is Luke putting on the camp? He didn't say anything to us about it?" Nathan asked, raising his eyebrows.

Whitey started laughing, slapping Nathan's back once again. "You're in for a real treat, boy."

"I don't like the sound of that," Nathan laughed, shaking his head, and following Whitey into the field house.

Oh, you will," Whitey laughed, nodding at him.

Haley linked her arm through Nathan's, curling her fingers around his bicep lightly, looking up at him.

"So this is where I played basketball in high school..." Nathan informed her, clearing his throat. "Most of high school. Whitey made us play in this crappy old gym, I told you that."

"Your bad attitude put you in the crappy gym," Whitey grumbled in correction.

"My bad attitude made us play in that crappy gym," Nathan corrected himself, smirking slightly, moving when Whitey attempted to smack the back of his head.

Whitey pushed open the gym doors, beginning to laugh again.

"I don't like whatever you're laughing at," Nathan grumbled, guiding Haley inside the gym. There were a bunch of kids running around, he guessed from ages four to about fourteen.

"Tim! You have a visitor!" Whitey yelled across the gym.

Nathan looked over at Whitey quickly, before watching as his high school best friend literally shoved kids out of his way to run over.

Before he knew it, Tim was jumping at him, pulling him into a bear hug, causing him to stumble backwards.

"Hey Tim," Nathan said, glancing over at Haley, who had the biggest grin on her face.

"Nathan!" Tim said excitedly, hugging him tightly. "I can't believe it's really you!"

"Uh... Yep," Nathan laughed, looking down at him.

"It's like giving a pig a pancake!" Tim said, looking at him and grinning.

"Just say you're excited to see me, Tim..." Nathan said, shaking his head.

"Aw, I missed this!" Tim said, smacking his arm. "I didn't know you were in town."

"Just barely got in," Nathan responded, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Well when do we hit the clubs?" Tim asked, nudging him quickly.

Nathan laughed, "We don't." He said, nodding at Haley.

Tim glanced over at her, "Is this your cousin?"

"What?" Nathan asked him, laughing loudly. "No, you idiot. She's my girlfriend."

"I was hoping she was your cousin," Tim pouted, looking at him, then back at Haley. "You can call me The Tim."

Haley laughed, looking between the two of them. "Nice to meet you, Tim. I'm Haley," She said, nodding at him. "I'm not his cousin, but if this whole thing doesn't work out, then maybe I'll give you a call."

"Watch it," Nathan laughed, pushing Tim to the side, grabbing Haley's arm and tugging her over to him.

Tim laughed, winking at her. "I'll be waiting," He said, before looking over at Whitey. "You guys met my assistant coach."

Whitey rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "Better go watch your boy, Tim. He looks like he's going to cause some trouble."

"Right..." Tim trailed off, looking over. "Do you want to come meet my son?" He asked Nathan, raising his eyebrows.

"You have a son?" Nathan questioned him, his eyes wide.

"Yeah, come on! I'll introduce you!" Tim said, grabbing his wrist and dragging him away.

Haley laughed as she watched Tim drag Nathan away, shaking her head.

"He's definitely an interesting one..." Whitey said from next to her, shaking his head.

"Believe it or not, I've actually seen him before. He used to hit up almost every single party at my college," Haley laughed, shaking her head. "Not much interaction between us, but he still seems the same."

"He followed Nathan around like a lost puppy," Whitey informed her, taking a seat on the bleachers.

Haley sat down next to him, smiling slightly, "Nathan has told me a little bit about him, but not much."

Whitey nodded his head, looking out at the two of them as Tim introduced Nathan to his three year old son.

"The boy's name is Nathan," He informed her, glancing over. "That's why Nathan looks confused."

"Really?" She asked, raising her eyebrows and smiling. "That's... Sweet, I guess."

"If you say so," Whitey laughed, shaking his head. "So where did you go to school?"

"Stanford," Haley said, nodding her head.

"Smart girl. What are you doing with him?" He asked, nodding his head in Nathan's direction.

"He's a great guy," She said, smiling slightly. "That's why."

"He got dealt a bad hand," He said, looking at her.

"He really did," Haley agreed, looking in Nathan's direction.

"Haven't seen him since his mother passed," Whitey said, looking down. "Lucas tells me things from time to time."

Haley crossed her legs, shifting slightly and letting out a deep breath, "Yeah. He's doing okay."

"He seems a little better than okay," Whitey said, looking over at her. "He needs someone to smack him around and not put up with him."

"Trust me, I have that covered," She joked, biting her lip and watching as Nathan high-fived Tim's son.

He looked over at her, nodding his head. "I used to coach his Dad, and his uncle."

"Oh?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Danny was a great player. Keith, not so much. But I liked Keith better," Whitey informed her, shaking his head. "It's a game, but sometimes people take it too far. That's how Danny was."

"So I've heard," Haley said, glancing towards Nathan.

"He's told you everything, hm?" He questioned her, raising his eyebrows, adjusting the hat on his head.

"Just about," Haley responded, letting out a deep breath.

"So how did you two end up with each other?" He asked her, looking over at Nathan.

"The short version is my sister married his best friend," Haley said, nodding her head and smiling.

"There's more to it, I'm sure. He makes everything complicated," He grumbled out, shaking his head. "I thought he was headed in the same direction as his father, but Lucas helped him. I'm happy to see he's found himself someone respectful."

Haley smiled at the words, looking at Whitey as he watched Nathan. He could tell that the older man cared so much for Nathan, despite how much of a hassle he may have been in high school.

"It's too bad he doesn't play anymore, because once he learned to love it, I thought he'd never stop," Whitey informed her, bringing her out of her thoughts.

Haley bit down on her lip, watching Nathan as he was talking to a different kid now, teaching him a few things, like he'd done with her niece and nephews.

"I think he loves it, but he's trying not to," Haley said softly, glancing over at Whitey, before her gaze moved back to Nathan.

"It amazes me that he's even out there. With it being so close to the time when his mother died, and he injured his back. I was sure I'd never even see him out on a court again," Whitey said, looking over at her. "I'm not trying to be forward, but if I had to guess, I'd bet it was you that helped him get there."

She smiled slightly, looking over at Whitey and shrugging her shoulders, "He probably would have found his own way back."

"Maybe, maybe not. But last year at this time, Lucas told me he was drunk and angry." Whitey informed her, clearing his throat. "Now he seems happy, with a pretty lady on his arm."

Haley laughed, shaking his her, "He's a good man," She said, nodding her head. "Maybe a little rough around the edges, but he was raised like that."

"I always thought Lucas got the better end of the deal, Karen and Keith," Whitey told her, nodding.

"I think he feels that way too," Haley said softly, biting her lip.

Whitey smiled sadly, shaking his head. "He was a pain in the ass, but he had a father in his ear telling him to be that way."

"He said you were a pain in the ass too," Haley said, smiling at him, raising her eyebrows.

Whitey looked at her and laughed, "Fighting his battles for him?"

"I tell it how it is," Haley laughed, nodding her head.

"I gave him what he deserved," He responded, shrugging his shoulders.

Haley laughed, nodding. "For what it's worth, I think it made him respect you even more," She told him, looking out at Nathan once again. Looks like somehow he'd been roped into this basketball camp.

Whitey was quiet for a little while, watching Nathan and Tim as they dealt with kids all over the place.

He finally stood up, nodding down at her. "He's a good kid, just has a trouble past." He grumbled, nodding to her. "I better go help, they look a little lost out there. Want me to send him over?"

Haley waved her hand, shaking her head. "No, let him have fun for a little while," She said, smiling up at him. "It was nice talking with you."

Whitey nodded his head, heading over to the two men, blowing his whistle at them.

xxxx

Somehow, they'd ended up there all day. Haley didn't think it was Nathan's way of avoiding their argument that would continue once they were away from all these people, he just seemed to be genuinely enjoying himself.

Who would've thought that once upon a time superstar Nathan Scott was content passing the ball around with a bunch of kids?

Truthfully, she found it very endearing. He was very gentle around kids. Looked a little uncomfortable at first, but after a little while, they were hanging from his neck, a large grin on his face as he tossed them around and wrestled with them.

Haley had fun too, truthfully. Tim was pretty funny, despite his annoying nature. His son was pretty adorable, and had taken quite a liking to Nathan, which was no surprise. She enjoyed watching Whitey harass his old players, and watching Nathan shoot it right back.

She could tell how much they really cared for each other, even though they tried not to make it obvious.

When the last kid was picked up, Tim turned to Nathan, raising his eyebrows.

"Want to ditch the ball and chain and cash in on some Tim Time?" He asked him hopefully.

Haley wound her arm around Nathan's waist, tugging him into her side, "I don't think so, Tim."

"We'll find time," Nathan assured him, giving him a thumbs up.

"You better. I know where you live, I'll show up..." Tim said, smacking his chest lightly. He picked up his son, slinging him over his shoulder, moving his attention to Whitey. "What about you, old man? Want to go partying?"

Whitey shook his head, swatting at Tim's head. "What is the matter with you?"

"I'll take that as a no, damn..." Tim said, rubbing his head. "Geez."

"Nathan, a word..." Whitey said, looking at him.

"I'd rather not," Nathan responded, clearing his throat.

Haley took Nathan's car keys from him, nodding her head. "I'll meet you in the car. C'mon, Tim..." She said, grabbing onto Tim's arm, hurrying out the doors.

Nathan sighed softly, shaking his head and shoving his hands into his pockets.

"On the line," Whitey said, nodding towards the free throw line.

"You don't get to boss me around, Whitey. You're not my coach," Nathan argued, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Get on the damn line, or I'll start yelling," Whitey said, blowing his whistle at Nathan.

Nathan rolled his eyes, raising his hands up in defense. "Alright, damn. Would you cool it old man?" He grumbled, stepping over to the free throw line.

Whitey walked over to the rack, picking up one of the balls and tossing it over to Nathan. "You've spent all day teaching kids how to shoot, can you even still do it?"

Nathan looked over at him and scowled, "I don't have to answer to you."

Whitey blew his whistle, pointing up at the hoop, "I can stand here all day, Nathan. I have no one to get back to, you on the other hand have someone waiting for you." He said, crossing his arms. "So let's see it."

"I'm not going to do this," Nathan argued, glaring over at him.

"Get off your high horse," Whitey scolded him, "You're not better than everyone else."

"It's like I'm having an epiphany. You're so wise," Nathan said sarcastically, glancing up at the basket.

"Just do it, Nathan. Don't you want to know?" Whitey asked him, nodding at the ball in his hands.

"If it will shut you up..." Nathan grumbled, throwing the ball at the backboard, watching it bounce off, then fly across the gym.

"You're still difficult," Whitey said, shaking his head. "You can't associate something you loved with something terrible."

"Back off," Nathan barked at him, shaking his head quickly.

Whitey grabbed another ball, tossing it to him again. "Do it, Nathan."

Nathan stared up at the basket, before looking over at Whitey. He used to be able to make it in his sleep, how hard would it be? If it would make Whitey leave him alone, it might be worth it...

He bent his knees, relaxing and letting out a deep breath, holding the ball up. After a few more deep breaths, he shot the ball up, arching his wrist.

He held his breath, as he watched it hit the rim, and fall to the ground.

He closed his eyes, scolding himself for missing it. The first shot he'd taken in two years, and it had been a dud.

"Again," Whitey said, picking up the next ball and throwing it to him.

"No," Nathan argued weakly, shaking his head. "I can't do it."

"You can do it! I've seen you make it hundreds of times," Whitey scolded him, pointing at the hoop. "I'm not letting you leave until you make at least one."

"Get off my back, Dan..." Nathan grumbled, glaring at him.

Whitey narrowed his eyes at him, blowing his whistle once more. "Dan wanted you to play for him, I want you to do this for you. So shoot."

Nathan sighed, shaking his head and shooting it up once again, watching it miss once more.

He blew out a deep breath, pushing his hand through his hair. "I'm done."

"Nathan, your last year at Duke, you had an almost perfect free throw percentage," Whitey said, nodding his head. "Keep trying."

After going through all the basketballs on the rack, then halfway through again, Nathan was getting more than a little frustrated.

He let out a frustrated groan, throwing the ball at the gym wall, shaking his head. "I'm done, Coach." He said, letting out a deep breath.

"One more, Nathan." Whitey stated, tossing him the ball.

"Haley is out there waiting for me," Nathan grumbled, glaring at him. "I'm done."

"Just do one more, and I'll let you go..." Whitey said, sighing softly.

Nathan let out a deep breath, getting into stance once more, staring up at the basket. He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, blinking them open a second later. He slowed his breathing, calming his nerves and staring up at it again.

He shot the ball up, closing his eyes again. He froze as he heard the familiar swish, his eyes opening wide, looking over at Whitey.

Whitey smiled at him, stepping forward and patting his shoulder, "Good job, son. You've officially made your first shot in two years."


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Nathan jumped into the driver's seat of his car, a wide grin on his face.

After missing so many shots, he'd finally made one. And dammit... It felt amazing. He felt amazing.

His gaze shifted to Haley, his smile only growing. She was pissed at him, probably, and he was a little unhappy with her. But he loved her. And he felt damn amazing.

"What happe-"

He cut her off, leaning over and kissing her quickly, his hand moving to cup her cheek gently, pulling her closer to him.

Haley smiled against his lips, resting her hand on his wrist, gently brushing her thumb over his skin.

After a second he pulled back, looked out the front windshield and let a deep breath.

He looked over at her after a moment, grinning brightly at her. "Let's go..." He said, grabbing her hand, kissing her knuckles. "I'm putting a pause on everything. Let's go watch the sunset."

"I don't think the sun is going to set for a few more hours, Nathan. It's only six," She laughed, pointing up at the sky and raising her eyebrows. "What has gotten into you?"

"Let me take you to dinner then," He said, letting out a deep breath. "Or let's go to the beach and wait."

"What's going on, Nathan?" She asked him, squeezing his hand lightly. "Are you okay? You were in there with Whitey for awhile."

"Haley, I did it," He said, his smile growing, breaking her gaze and looking towards the gym. "It's taken me so long, and I messed up the two dozen or so times, but I did it."

"What are you talking about, Nathan?" Haley laughed, raising her eyebrows.

She was fully expecting to continue their argument in the car, but how could she even think about fighting with the giddy man next to her?

"I made a free throw," He said, nodding at her quickly. "You know, I always thought Clay would be the first person I told if I ever tried."

"You did what?" Haley asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"I made a free throw. I feel so good, Haley... I was so pissed because I kept missing, if I'd have missed one more, we would've had to take Whitey to the hospital because I would've thrown a basketball at his head. But I made it." He let out a deep breath, holding her hand over his heart. "My heart is beating so fast."

Haley smiled brightly at him, watching his eyes light up in excitement. It was like giving a child candy for the first time. She'd never seen him like that. He seemed invincible. They could figure out a solution to their problems later. Right now she just wanted to keep the look in his eye. She felt her heart swell with pride. He'd probably been terrified to try again, but he did it.

"Nathan... That's amazing," She breathed out, leaning over and kissing him lightly. She brushed her thumb over his chest, scrunching her nose up at him. "I wish I would've seen it..."

"I know I'll never get it all the way back, Haley... But I think I'm going to be okay with that." He told her, letting out a deep breath. "I feel so amazing right now. I could go skydiving or something. I wish you could've seen me, Haley."

"I never thought I'd be jealous of an old man," Haley laughed, resting her hand on his cheek, smiling brightly at him. "It must've been hard for you, Nathan. I'm so proud of you."

Nathan smiled, letting out a deep breath. "What do you say we get out of here?"

"Where do you want to go?" Haley asked him, raising her eyebrows up at him.

"I'd go anywhere with you," He said, kissing her hand lightly, starting his car quickly. "First, I'm going to take you to dinner, because you deserve it after unexpectedly wrestling around with kids all day." He informed her, nodding at her. "Then, I'm going to take you to this secluded little spot that I know of, and we can sit on the hood of my car, and watch the sunset, look at the stars... Whatever you want."

"Shouldn't I be treating you, superstar?" She asked him, smiling brightly at him.

"No way," He responded, resting his hand on her leg. "I feel amazing, Hales."

Haley smiled at him, setting her hand on his. "I'm happy for you, Nathan," She told him, nodding quickly. "I'm proud of you too."

He looked so proud at her words, sitting up straighter and letting out a deep breath, "Thank you," He responded cooly. He glanced over at her, turning his hand and lacing their fingers together. "I know where to take you to dinner too."

She squeezed his hand lightly, brushing her thumb over his knuckles lightly. "Perfect," She hummed, biting her lip.

xxxx

Nathan laid back against the windshield of his car, staring out at the ocean. He both of his arms around Haley, a blanket pulled over her.

"You saved me," He whispered to her, letting out a deep breath, stroking his fingers over her arm.

Haley lifted her head off his shoulder, shaking it slowly. "What?" She asked him, sliding her fingers over his chest. "No I didn't, Nathan."

"You did though," He said, smiling down at her. "I'm a better person because of you."

"You've always been a good person," She assured him, letting out a deep breath.

He shrugged his shoulders, "Maybe..." He trailed off, squeezing her shoulder. "But you saved me, Haley. I mean it. Clay, Lucas, Chase... Everyone. They spent years trying to do what you've done for me in months."

She looked at him, pressing a kiss to his jaw, before resting her head back on his shoulder. "I just listened to you, Nathan. You made yourself the person you want to be."

"I did it for you, you know..." He informed her, letting out a deep breath.

She smiled slightly, closing her eyes and cuddling her body closer to his, "I'm grateful for it," She said softly.

"I've never taken anyone here before," He informed her, looking around. "I'm sure other people have been here, but I've never brought anyone here."

"Well, I'm honored," She said, brushing her hand over his chest. "I told you that you'd take me here one day."

"You were right," He chuckled, kissing the top of her head. "I feel like you're right a lot."

"That's because I am almost always right," She hummed out, blinking her eyes open and looking up at him.

"Yeah, yeah. No need to brag," He laughed, hugging her tightly to him. He looked out on the sunset, before glancing down at her again.

He loved her. He was so damn in love with her. How could he feel this way about another person? It was indescribable.

This would be a great moment to tell her.

He shifted slightly, letting out a shaky breath. "Haley, I..." He trailed off, pausing when she looked up at him.

Those big brown eyes... So perfect. Every detail of her face made his heart race. He long eyelashes, the way she scrunched up her nose when he teased her. He could kiss her all day long.

He couldn't do it.

"I, um... How did you like Whitey?" He questioned her, raising his eyebrows.

"He's a gruff old man, but he has a soft heart, I can tell you that," Haley laughed, brushing her thumb over his cheek. "He cares about you a lot."

"He treats me like crap," Nathan laughed, rolling his eyes.

"Well I'm glad you have him, because he helped you a lot today," She said, sitting up slowly, looking down at him and nodding.

"He did, didn't he?" He said, smiling brightly. "I can move on, you know... I wish I didn't have to, but I can do it."

"I know you can, baby..." She whispered, trailing her fingers down his chest.

He stood up slowly, stretching his arms above his head, "I will," He said, grabbing the hem of his shirt, lifting it over his head. "Have you ever gone skinny dipping?"

She looked up at him, raising her eyebrows and laughing. She stood up, stepping over to him. "Not with you, I haven't," She hummed, resting her hands on his chest.

"Well, you've been missing out. Care to join me?" He asked her, smirking slightly, feeling her shirt between his fingertips.

She grinned, pulling her shirt over her head, smacking his butt quickly, before rushing towards the water.

He let out a deep breath as he watched her run forward, her arms reaching around her back and unhooking her bra, tossing it to the side. He whistled lightly, nodding his head.

Yeah, he liked being in love with her, that's for sure.

He smirked again, before running after her towards the water.

xxxx

Haley lifted her head up, looking around the empty bedroom, raising her eyebrows. She rested her hand on the side of the bed that Nathan had been laying on when she fell asleep. It was cold, so he'd probably been gone for awhile.

She glanced over to the clock. It was just after midnight.

It seemed like waking up with him gone was becoming a recurring occurrence.

Haley stood up slowly, pulling on the clothes she'd been wearing previously. She picked up Nathan's sweatshirt off the ground, pulling it over her head and letting out a deep breath. By the time she got downstairs, she heard the familiar sound of a basketball bouncing on pavement.

She smiled slightly, biting her lip and looking outside. She could see him, dribbling a basketball around. There were lights around the basketball hoop in the driveway, probably something that his father had done on purpose with plans so for his son to spend late nights practicing.

She stepped outside, quietly closing the door behind her so he wouldn't notice her right away.

She was a little impressed as she watched him shoot a free throw, and then go and retrieve the ball quickly. He was making a decent amount of them. Probably his skill was coming back to him quickly.

He looked so graceful. She'd witnessed videos of him playing, but seeing the real thing was amazing.

"I can feel you watching me," Nathan said, tossing the ball up, smirking slightly as it bounced in. "Damn, that feels amazing."

"You look good," Haley said, stepping onto the driveway and crossing her arms, smiling slightly.

"My dad used to make me stay out here until I could make twenty free throws in a row. Sometimes more," Nathan said, grabbing the ball, dribbling it between his legs, turning towards the basket, and shooting it up, jumping backwards slightly. He shook his head slightly when it missed the basket, watching it roll into the grass.

"Nice jumpshot," She commented, smiling at him. "Sorry that your dad was an ass."

He laughed, looking over at her. "It's okay, thanks though." He hummed, brushing his fingers through his hair. "It feels great."

She smiled slightly, looking up at the hoop, wrapping her arms around herself.

"I guess we should talk, huh?" He asked her, kicking his foot at the ground and looking down.

"We probably shouldn't avoid it, no..." She commented, letting out a deep breath.

"She means nothing to me, Haley. I need you to understand that," He said, stepping towards her quickly, resting his hand on her shoulders. "And you mean everything to me."

She nodded her head, letting out a deep breath. "I know, Nathan... But I just don't know if I can get the way you looked at her out of my head."

"Well I need you to forget it. All of it," He told her, nodding at her.

"I believe you when you say she means nothing, Nathan. I'm not trying to label you, but a lot of girls have meant nothing to you, but you've still been with them," She said softly, letting out a deep sigh.

"You're right, Haley." He said, shrugging his shoulders. "But I didn't have you. And I don't want to lose you, so I wouldn't risk it."

"Do you think she's pretty?" Haley asked him, biting her lip and shifting her gaze away.

"It doesn't matter. Because I think you're the prettiest, most beautiful woman in this Universe," He said, letting out a deep breath. "But I need you to understand something else. I need you to listen to me until I finish though."

She shifted her gaze back to him, nodding her head and letting out a deep breath. "Okay, I'll listen."

"I have to see her again," He said simply, nodding quickly. "I have to."

"Nathan," Haley groaned, pushing his hands off her shoulders, "Don't."

"Listen to me, Hales," He said, letting out a deep breath. "The reason that Jimmy Edwards brought a gun to school that day, was because we had to record a message for the time capsule. They were supposed to be released in like twenty years or something like that, but someone released them early, and his was bashing a lot of the kids at our school," Nathan told her, nodding his head slowly.

Haley nodded in response, biting her lip and staring up at him.

"Well, I spent a lot of time with Rachel the summer before I left for college. She was a nice distraction from the shit going on in my life, Hales..." He began, resting his hands on her shoulders again. "At the end of the summer, she told me that she was the one that let the time capsules out."

"Oh," Haley said, clearing her throat and staring up at him, resting her hand on his cheek.

"And I got pissed, and left. I never talked to her again. But... I have to know, Haley... I need to know why she did it," He said, squeezing his eyes shut and letting out a deep breath. "Jimmy Edwards took his own life that day. And my father... He took his brother's life."

"Oh, Nathan..." She trailed off, standing on her toes and kissing him lightly. She wrapped her arms around his neck, nodding her head. "Okay," She began, sighing softly. "I understand. But I want to come with you."

"You do?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows and looking down at her.

"Yes, Nathan. I trust you, but I don't trust her. And I want to be there for you," She said, sending him a small smile.

"I want you with me," He said, smiling at her. "You're so perfect... I don't understand how you're mine."

"You just got lucky," She hummed, scrunching her nose up at him.

He laughed, hugging her tightly to him. "That I did, Haley James, that I did. Thank you so much for helping me through everything. I feel stronger with you at my side."

Haley smiled, kissing him once more. "There's no where I'd rather be."


	24. Chapter 24

**I'm very pleased with this chapter. I really, really liked writing it. It's a little different, but I hope that you all enjoy reading it! Thanks again for the support.**

 **Chapter 24**

Nathan stared up at the house in front of him, pulling his phone out of his pocket to verify it was the right address. He glanced over at Haley, who was still in the car, talking on the phone with... Yeah, he had no idea who she was talking to.

He looked over at the house again, wiping his palms on his jeans. He probably should've come alone. He was glad Haley was here, but he suspected part of the reason she was coming was because she didn't trust him to be alone with Rachel. And he really didn't blame her. Rachel was good at feeding him sexy little lies and pushing alcohol into his system, and those two were not a good combination.

So maybe it was for the better that she was here, at least for the sake of their relationship. Not that he would risk them purposely, but his nerves were high, and his desire to drink was right along with them.

He just had to make sure Haley didn't get feisty, or vice versa. Rachel never cared. She would openly flirt with him at any given moment, no matter who was standing next to him.

He remembered her hitting on him right after his Uncle Keith's funeral, using his vulnerability and sadness as a way to get him into bed.

This seemed like a bad idea the more he ran through it in his head. He glanced over when Haley got out of the car, slipping her hand into his, before his gaze shifted up into the house.

It was fairly large, which led him to believe that her modeling career was successful. Or maybe she was married to an eighty year old man, just waiting for him to die so she could take all his money.

Both were possibilities he could see.

He swallowed thickly as they walked up the polished, wooden stairs that led up to the house. The reddish color of the front porch made him feel sick for some reason. The railing was too white, it hurt his eyes. He hated being here.

He felt like he was going to throw up. This was a discussion that he desperately did not want to have. He dropped Haley's hand from his own, clenching them into fists and staring at the wide double front door, looking at the arch on top. The windows on either side of the door were tinted, so he couldn't see into them very visibly.

"Should we knock?" Haley finally asked him, bringing him out of his thoughts.

Nathan raised up his fist quickly, and knocking on the door forcefully, blowing out a deep breath and staying quiet. He crossed his arms and waited, when there was no sign of Rachel for about a minute, he knocked again, and then started ringing the door bell.

He rolled his eyes at the sound. Of course it wasn't a normal doorbell. No, it had to chime and play an annoying ass song because Rachel was so damn extra.

"I don't know if she's home," Haley trailed off, glancing over her shoulder towards his car, raising her eyebrows.

"She's home," Nathan said, shaking his head. He rested his hand on the doorknob, twisting it quickly.

"Nathan, we can't just go in..." Haley said, biting down on her lip and looking over at her boyfriend. He had a look in his eye that she'd never seen before. He seemed so harsh and rigid.

"I'm going in," He said simply, pushing the door open and looking at her. "She's home."

"This is illegal," She said, grabbing onto his arm and shaking her head, "Trespassing."

"I'm not breaking in. She knows I'm here," He said to her, stepping inside the house. "You don't have to come..."

She let out a deep breath, glancing towards the car and shaking her head. Against her better judgement, she stepped inside the house after him.

Nathan felt his stomach twist at the scent that hit him when he walked in. It was too flowery and overbearing. He felt so nauseous.

Haley couldn't believe she was doing this. It annoyed her a little bit that he'd done this. It was totally irrational thinking on his part.

She looked over at him, raising her eyebrows slightly. He was pale, a little sickly looking. He was sweating, and his hands were balled into tight fists. She was about to push him outside and talk him down a little bit, when he spoke before her.

"She's gotta be around here somewhere," He said, glancing towards the long, marble staircase just off from the front door that extended upwards.

"Nathan, maybe we should go outside and you can call her," Haley said, stepping in front of him, resting her hand on his chest to stop him from charging up the stairs.

"She's home, Haley. She's playing games," He bit out, his jaw clenching.

"Let's not play," She said, shaking her head and clearing her throat.

This was not a side of him that she'd ever seen before. Eyes dark and vengeful. She almost wanted to take a step back. The sickly feeling was spreading over to her as each word he spoke got harsher and harsher.

He looked at her, shaking his head and walking up the stairs quickly, taking several at a time.

Before he knew it, he was at the top, shaking his head an looking down the hall. He pushed open the first door, and found a bedroom, one that he assumed to be the master bedroom, based on it's size, the doors that led out to a balcony, and the bathroom connected to it. The comforter was thrown all over the place, sheets tangled up with it. The same scent followed him all over the house, making him gag on it.

"Nathan," Haley grabbed his wrist, shaking her head quickly. "Stop it. Right now."

"She's in here, Haley," He said quickly, staring down at her.

"This isn't your house, Nathan... You're making yourself sick," She said, keeping her tight grip on his wrist.

"Do you smell that? It smells like flowers all over the damn place. It's maddening," Nathan said, shaking his head quickly, gesturing around.

Haley looked up at him, shaking her head slowly. She didn't smell anything. He was freaking her out a little bit.

"Let's go back outside," She said softly, beginning to back up towards the staircase, tugging him along with her.

Once they reached the bottom, she watched as his eyes traveled down the hallway to the kitchen. He pulled his wrist from her grasp, hurrying down the open hallway, and over to the back door just to the side of the kitchen.

"There she is," He said, pointing outside at the red head that was swimming in the pool.

Haley watched as she kicked her legs gracefully, letting out a deep breath. This was not going to end well.

Nathan yanked open the door, hurrying down the stairs that led to the pool area. It was unusually hot for March, that's for sure. The heat was definitely not helping him think clearly.

He picked up the towel when he saw Rachel rise out of the water after swimming the length of the pool.

"Need a hand?" He asked her, his eyebrows raising down at her.

Rachel looked up at him, a sly grin growing on her face, her tongue brushing over her bottom lip. "From you? Always," She said, winking at him.

Nathan reached down, grabbing onto her hand and lifting her up out of the water, before taking a step away.

Haley watched from the top of the stairs as her boyfriend handed his ex whatever she was a towel, watching her dry herself off slowly. Her damn bikini left nothing to the imagination, that was for sure.

She was acting sexy. Haley had seen both men and women do this a million times to impress whoever had caught their eye. Sensually patting themselves dry with a towel, leaving the other person drooling. Hell, she'd done it herself before. It infuriated her.

"I didn't think you'd be here so soon," Rachel informed him, resting her leg on one of the pool chairs, slowly brushing the soft towel up the length of her leg, her hand following after it, caressing her muscular calf lightly.

"I told you I was on my way," Nathan said, crossing his arms. He took a step back when he felt his eyes follow the towel as it went up her leg, shaking his head slowly, scolding himself.

"What do you think of the place? I'm renting for now, but considering buying it," Rachel purred out, looking up at him and batting her eyelashes.

"Not my taste," He responded, swallowing thickly.

"Do I get a hug?" Rachel asked him, stepping forward slightly, raising her eyebrows.

"No," Nathan said, taking a step back, shoving his hands into his pockets. He stared down at her face, his mind narrowing in on the reason he came here.

Haley descended the stairs slowly, walking up behind Nathan and looking at Rachel, a small grin forming on her face as she rested her hand on Nathan's bicep.

"Oh, you brought a friend," Rachel said, almost rolling her eyes at the sight of Haley in front of her.

"I brought my girlfriend," Nathan corrected through a clenched jaw, staring down at her familiar face.

"Well, can I interest you in something to drink?" Rachel asked, winking up at him, taking a small step forward. "I have it all, you name it."

"I'm good," Nathan responded, glancing towards the house. "Now, do you want to go put something on so we can talk?"

Haley forced the grin to remain off her face at Nathan's words, mentally giving him a congratulatory slap on the ass for that.

"Funny, Nathan... I didn't realize you would ever be on such a short leash," Rachel responded, stepping towards him once again, her hand resting on his chest.

Haley stepped in front of him quickly, moving Rachel back and shaking her head, "I don't think you know who you're messing with, Rachel. You're making him uncomfortable, so I think it's time you went inside and did as he asked."

"Last I checked you two were in my home," Rachel said, tapping her chin. "And I don't remember answering the door either."

Nathan looked at her, feeling his heart rate accelerate. But it wasn't from her skimpy bikini, or flirty attitude... He was on the verge of seeing red.

"Well-"

"I'm only kidding. Make yourselves at home," Rachel hummed, nodding at them. "I'll go change."

Nathan let out a breath of relief as he watched her head inside, rolling his eyes at how her hips swayed in the process.

"Hey," Haley said, grabbing onto his shirt collar once he was gone, "Are you going to be okay?"

"I'll be fine," Nathan said, glancing back at the house. He kicked at one of the pool chairs, shoving his hand into his pockets. "Let's go back inside," He grumbled, hurrying up the stairs.

Nathan found the living room, taking a seat on the couch. He squeezed his eyes shut, letting the cool air conditioner hopefully bring down his body heat so he could think a little more clearly.

Haley took a seat next to him, leaving a little bit of distance between them. She wasn't sure what to do, or what to say exactly. She looked over at him, listening quietly as he tried to level out his breathing. He looked so... Angry.

Nathan looked up when Rachel entered the room, holding six packs of beer in each hand, taking a seat at one of the chairs, setting them on the coffee table.

"You know we always have more fun when we're drinking, Nathan..." Rachel hummed, winking at him.

"I'm good," Nathan said, wiping his hands on jeans, shifting in his seat.

"Changed a lot, hm?" Rachel said, crossing her legs, grabbing one of the bottles and smirking slightly.

"Guess so," Nathan said, letting out a deep breath and looking over at her.

"You wanted to talk," Rachel said, gesturing to him. "So let's talk."

Haley looked over at Nathan, then at Rachel, sighing softly. She waited for him to say something, anything... Minutes had gone by that felt like hours, and he had yet to speak a word.

"So, you're a model," Haley finally spoke, looking over at her and offering a polite smile.

"Yep," Rachel responded, letting out a deep breath. "What do you do, Haley?"

"I'm a teacher," Haley replied, crossing her legs and looking over at Nathan.

Nathan shifted his gaze to the bottles on the table, any words spoken after that just becoming noise in the background of his thoughts. He clenched his hands into fists, feeling all the heat rush to his face once again, his chest constricting. He could hardly breathe.

"Why'd you do it, Rachel?" He finally snapped, jumping up to his feet and staring down at her.

Haley looked up at him quickly, preparing herself to stand up and sit him down if she needed to, biting down on her lip nervously.

"I'm sorry?" Rachel asked, raising her eyebrows, "Do what, Nathan?"

"Don't feed me that shit!" Nathan spat at her, shaking his head and letting out a frustrated groan.

"Nathan," Haley grabbed his wrist carefully, tugging on it softly.

"Let go of me, Haley," Nathan grumbled, pulling his arm away from her. "Don't pretend like it's a secret, Rachel. You released the time capsule, and I want to know why."

Rachel looked up at him, biting her lip and standing to her feet, nodding in his direction. "Nathan..." She trailed off, letting out a deep breath.

"I don't want any excuses. I just want the truth, okay? And then I'll be gone," He growled out at her.

Haley wanted to flinch at his aggressive tone. His anger was rightfully directed at her. She had released the time capsule, which resulted in his father murdering his uncle.

"You should understand more than anyone, Nathan. I acted out because my parents wouldn't give me the time of day otherwise," Rachel said, stepping towards him.

"You hurt a lot of people that day," Nathan accused her, stepping back and shaking his head. He couldn't think clearly. His brain was so... Foggy. It was almost like he'd been drunk, but he had not had a drop of alcohol in months.

"I didn't mean for it to happen, Nathan..." Rachel trailed off, staring up at him.

"Oh, you didn't mean for it to happen? Tell me, Rachel... What did you mean to happen?" He asked her, scowling at her and shaking his head, crossing his arms.

"I..." Rachel let out a deep breath, her gaze shifting away from his, shaking her head slowly.

"Nathan," Haley said, staring up at him. "Maybe you should sit down..." She said softly, grabbing onto his hand.

Nathan looked down at her, sucking in a slow deep breath. After a minute of making eye contact with her, he sat down again, clearing his throat.

Rachel sat down, biting her lip and looking at him once again. "Nathan..." She trailed off, pushing her hand through her damp hair.

Nathan held up his hand to stop her from talking, glancing at his shaking fingers. He reached forward, picking up one of the beer bottles, squeezing his eyes shut.

This was going downhill fast. Haley wasn't quite sure what she was expecting when they arrived here... A lot of seduction attempts. Not nearly as much anger. She was not prepared for this.

He twisted off the cap, dropping it onto the coffee table. He looked over at Rachel, his eyes narrowing down on her.

"It's been a long time, Nathan..." Rachel said, shaking her head. "We were good together, weren't we?"

"We weren't together," Nathan said simply, shaking his head. He held the bottle to his lips, tipping his head back.

"But we were friends, weren't we? Couldn't you at least consider us that?" Rachel asked him, raising her eyebrows.

Nathan let out a bitter laugh, staring at her and rolling his eyes. "You've gotta be kidding me." He trailed off, letting out a deep breath.

Haley almost felt... Bad for Rachel. Nathan wasn't giving her a chance, not really. She could definitely see where his anger was coming from, and felt that he had a right to be upset with her. But he was being so harsh, so different from the Nathan that she had grown accustomed to.

Rachel looked at him, letting out a deep breath, "Forget it, Nathan. I'm sorry, okay? I made a mistake, and I have to live with it. But I was in high school, and people do dumb things to get attention in high school."

Nathan glared at her, shaking his head and letting out a deep breath. "This was a waste of my time."

"I didn't force Jimmy Edwards to bring a gun to school, Nathan. I didn't force him to shoot it, or to threaten people. I didn't force your dad to shoot Keith," Rachel said calmly, staring over at him.

Haley looked at the angered man next to her, his pupils dilating. Holy shit. This was not Nathan. She watched as he lifted the bottle to his lips once more, tilting his head back and draining the rest of the liquid.

She knew that Nathan drank. He drank a lot. But he'd never taken even one drink around her.

He picked up another bottle, cracking it open with ease and looking over at the red head once again.

"It was the final straw, Rachel," Nathan said, nodding at her. "We don't know what would've happened."

"You can't seriously be blaming me, Nathan? Just because your father is dead doesn't mean you need to blame someone else," Rachel snapped, shaking her head.

"I can do whatever the hell I want to do," Nathan said simply, nodding at her.

"I'm sorry, Nathan. That's all I can say," Rachel crossed her arms, letting out a deep breath.

"Why did you do it, Rachel?" He demanded from her again, staring at her.

"Because I liked the drama and the attention," Rachel responded, picking up one of the bottles.

Nathan nodded at her, taking another long drink, before his eyes fell to the ground, staying quiet.

"You used to like me, Nathan," Rachel commented, nodding slowly. "And I think you still do."

"Guess again," Nathan said quickly, reaching over and grabbing onto Haley's hand quickly. "I'm here because I had to know."

Haley looked at him, letting out a deep breath, giving his hand a light squeeze.

Nathan looked over at Rachel, pulling his hand out of Haley's, finishing off his second bottle quickly.

Rachel nodded, meeting his eyes. "I am sorry, Nathan. Whether you believe it or not, I wish I could take it back. But you weren't exactly perfect in high school either."

"Shut the hell up," Nathan dismissed her, scowling at her. "You act like I don't know that."

"You're sitting here throwing blame at me, what about you?" Rachel said, crossing her legs and narrowing her eyes at him. "You spent most of high school a bully."

"Stop," Nathan barked at her, glaring at her. "I know what I've done."

"So do I," Rachel said, nodding at him. "It's not my fault, Nathan."

He instinctively reached forward, picking up yet another one of the dark bottles on the table, staring at her intensely.

Haley swallowed thickly as she watched him grab another bottle, her gaze landing on the side of Nathan's face. She couldn't read his expression, but she could see the fury in his eyes.

"I've apologized, and there's nothing I can do to take it back. Like I said, I have to live with it. But I'm no more to blame than you are. Maybe I'm the one that released the videos, but you treated people like shit in high school. There's no excuse to bring a gun to school anyways," Rachel said simply, shrugging her shoulders. "Sorry, Nathan. I really am. I know you've had a hard life, but everyone goes through things."

Nathan shook his head, standing up. He pulled his keys out of his pocket, dropping them in Haley's lap, and storming out of the house, taking the remainder of the six pack with him.

Haley raised her eyebrows, watching the raven haired man leave. She stood up slowly, letting out a deep breath and pulling some money out of her purse, setting it on the table. "For the beer," She said, nodding her head.

"Better take the other one too, Haley. You're going to need it," Rachel said, standing up and nodding at her. "Good luck."

Haley offered her another polite smile, letting out a deep breath and glancing out the window at Nathan. "Nice meeting you," She said lightly, stepping towards the front door.

"Yeah," Rachel said, pulling it open once again.

Haley shifted slightly, nodding at Rachel, whispering a brief apology, before hurrying outside. She walked around to the drivers side of the car, getting in slowly.

"Feel better?" She asked him, looking over and raising his eyebrows.

"Whatever, let's just go home..." Nathan bit out, crossing his arms and staring out the front windshield.

Haley let out a small sigh, adjusting the seat so that it was suit to her much smaller stature, looking over at him. She glanced back towards the house, starting up the car and heading in the direction of his home.

xxxx

Haley watched Nathan as he stared out the window, finishing off the last bottle that he'd taken from Rachel's house, tapping her fingers on the table quietly, letting out a deep breath.

There had been an uncomfortable silence since they'd returned home. Nathan looked significantly worse than he had in months. Clammy, messy hair, dark circles under his eyes. He looked sickly.

She tore her gaze from his back, looking down at the glass filled with water sitting in front of her on the table.

She had no idea where to go from here. She thought she'd seen most of him. They'd spent the last three months together in close quarters.

She'd seen him upset and on the verge of an anxiety attack and tears. She'd seen him bursting with joy and with jealousy. She thought that she'd seen him angry. But that was a shadow of this. This shook her a little bit. How quickly he could drink a bottle made her a little uncomfortable. The fact that he had not made eye contact with her, or even really spoke made her uncomfortable, but more importantly concerned. Maybe he wasn't doing as well as he let on.

Haley's gaze snapped up when Nathan ripped his shirt over his head, throwing it to the side quickly, his hands digging into his hair.

"I can't get it off me, Haley. The smell of her damn house, I can't get it off," He said quickly, turning to look at her.

Good lord, him and that smell. She couldn't even tell what he was talking about... But he'd been dead set on the smell of her house being the worst scent in the world.

The panic in his eyes over a smell scared her. She stood up slowly, walking over to him.

She carefully leaned forward, sniffing his neck. As she suspected, the booze smell was strong, but there was no flowery scent that he described as sickening.

"I don't smell it, Nathan..." She said quietly, looking up at his glazed eyes.

"I can't get it off," He said, feeling his chest start to constrict. He clawed his fingers through his hair once again, stumbling slightly.

"Shh, baby..." Haley said, resting her hand on his shoulder to steady him.

"It's there, Haley! I'm serious, it won't go away!" He said, tugging on the ends of his hair.

His expression was so desperate. Like all he wanted was to get the smell of Rachel's house off of him. The mixture of alcohol, anger, and nerves was not a good one for him.

Haley looked up at him, soothing her fingers down his chest lightly, watching his heavy breathing. "What do you want me to do, Nathan?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows.

He looked like he was going to collapse, and she felt like she was going to start panicking right along with him. Her gaze flickered over to where her phone was sitting on the countertop. Maybe she should call Lucas, or Clay... Someone who had more experience with Nathan.

Before she knew it, he was darting out of the room, running into a chair on his way out, quickly stepping to the side, before he was gone.

Haley followed after him quickly, being met with the bathroom door slamming in her face. She could hear him in there, dry heaving.

Her fingers ran through her hair, listening to him outside of the door, as he was sick. She leaned against the wall across from the doorway, sliding down it slowly.

Not long after, he was quiet. She waited thirty seconds, before standing up slowly, pushing the door open.

Her heart broke at the sight in front of her. There was her poor boy, practically dripping in sweat, curled up on the floor of the bathroom, shaking.

She kneeled down next to him slowly, soothing her hand over his clammy, pale skin. "Come with me..." She said softly, standing up to her feet.

It took a lot of strength for Nathan to stand up, his muscles quivered.

Good god, what had happened to her man?

Haley slid her arm around his waist, his arm dropping around her shoulders.

Somehow, she'd found the strength to help him as they headed up the stairs. He was leaning on her, stumbling a bit in his slightly drunken state, but somehow, they made it up the stairs.

Haley led him into the bathroom again, putting some toothpaste on his toothbrush, rinsing it under the water and holding it out to him.

He didn't fight her, just silently brushed his teeth, staring at himself in the mirror with a blank expression.

While he was brushing his teeth, she turned towards the bathtub, turning on the faucet quickly, shifting it to a hotter setting.

When he finished up, she undid his belt buckle, biting her lip and undressed him carefully, pushing his clothes to the side.

He sunk down into the bath tub as she told him to, brushing his fingers through his damp hair.

It wasn't long before she'd undressed herself, sliding down into the tub behind him, wrapping her arms around his torso, tipping his head back until it was rested against her shoulder.

The only smell that made her sick was the smell of beer that was coming from him.

There wasn't a trace of any type of flowery scent on him. But he'd been so dead set on it.

She pressed a kiss into his thick, dark hair, resting her cheek against his head, closing her eyes tightly.

"I'm here, Nathan..." She whispered to him, brushing her fingers up his chest. "I'm here."

She let out a small sigh of relief as she felt him relax against her body, looking down at him and biting down on her bottom lip.

She wanted to cry for him, to take away whatever pain he was feeling. She wanted to cry for herself, because he had no idea how to help him. And a small portion of her even wanted to cry for Rachel, who had betrayed Nathan's trust, and lost whatever type of friendship they had over it. She didn't like Rachel, not even a little bit. But... Nathan had acted a bit harsh towards her. If she'd been on the receiving end of his shouting, she sure as hell wouldn't have kept as calm as Rachel appeared to be.

Haley glanced over at the clock in the bathroom, letting out a deep breath. It was barely the middle of the day. She guessed that the remainder of the day would be spent inside, and hopefully Nathan would sleep for awhile.

Her gaze flickered down to Nathan once again, lightly scratching her fingernails over his stomach, letting out a deep breath. How was she going to do this?

The last thing she wanted to do was doubt her ability to have a relationship with Nathan. She didn't want to give up on him, or decide this was too hard by any means. She cared for him so much. But... How could she do this? This was the first time anything like this had happened, and she felt mentally exhausted already. Her eyes moved over the details in his face, feeling her heart start pounding.

Of course she could do this. She'd be perfectly fine. Nathan would be perfectly fine. The connection she had to him was so strong, and she had the overwhelming feeling that despite what was happening around them, everything was going to be okay.

Her finger lightly traced over the details in his gorgeous face, a small smile playing at her lips.

He'd fallen asleep. She could tell by how much his face relaxed, and his breathing steadied out.

She reached forward, grabbing some body wash that was sitting on the edge of the tub, very lightly beginning to rub it into his chest, trying to rid him of whatever the offensive scent was to him.

This week had gone differently than expected. She thought that maybe they'd spend time with Lucas, he'd take her to some significant places in his life. Maybe they'd visit the place where they met, reminisce a little bit. She'd try to keep his head above water, and not let him eat himself up at the anniversary of his mother's passing approaching. She hoped it would bring them closer, help her see more into his life.

Yet here she was, a six-two man laying on top of her in a bathtub that definitely did not fit the two of them after he'd made himself sick from a possibly nonexistent smell that came from his ex-girlfriend's house after he screamed at her for, what in his mind, was basically putting a gun in his father's hand so that he could kill his uncle.

Close in proximity, but as much as she hated to admit it to herself, she could feel herself pulling back a little bit from there relationship.

He'd been a man on a mission. Willing to enter Rachel's house uninvited, and begin snooping through the rooms. It was shocking. The anger in his eyes... What the hell was she going to do?

She stroked her fingers through his hair, before wrapping her arms around him, holding him tightly against her.

Haley kissed his head lightly, stroking her fingers down his chest. She glanced down at him, squeezing him light, before voicing her concerns out loud to his sleeping form.

"What are we going to do, Nathan?"


	25. Chapter 25

**I've had some free time, and this story is just flowing for me. I like this chapter a lot as well. What can I say, I love the drama. I don't know, I just really enjoy writing this side of Nathan. He's supposed to be a little bit like how he was in the beginning of Season 5. Really, I enjoy writing from Haley's perspective a lot too. Thank you for reading and for all the reviews!**

 **Chapter 25**

"Are you sure, Nathan?"

Nathan looked over at his girlfriend, who was looking at him with concerned eyes, biting her lip nervously.

"Yeah," He said, sending her a small smile. He shoved his hands into his pockets, adverting his gaze from hers. "You need a break from me."

Haley shook her head, tapping her finger on his chest, "I don't need a break from you, Nathan," She scolded him, frowning.

He grabbed her hand, leaning forward and pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. "You wouldn't phrase it that way, but that's how I'm going to," He chuckled, nodding at her.

Haley let out a deep breath as she felt his scruffy chin rub against her forehead, staring up at his face. He'd made the decision to fly home to New York, rather than to return to North Carolina with her the day before they were supposed to fly home.

The rest of their week had been a little stressful. Nathan tried to pretend like nothing was going on, but clearly he was having some issues. He hadn't shaved in a couple of days. He hardly ate but continued exercising a lot. And despite his previous excitement about basketball... He dismissed the idea quickly if she brought it up. The dark circles under his eyes just seemed to be getting darker, and the blue was fading fading fast into a grayish color.

It seemed like he was letting himself waste away, and when he told her he was going back to New York, she wanted to him not to. But he seemed set in stone, and anytime she would bring up him going to Tree Hill instead, he just shook his head and smiled at her.

"Come back with me," She said, resting her hand on his shoulders, tucking her fingers underneath his backpack straps.

"I can't," Nathan said, smiling down at her. He kissed her forehead once again, shrugging his shoulders slightly. "I'll see you soon though."

She looked around the airport, wrapping her arms around his neck, sighing softly. "I'll let you have the window seat. I know you hate the aisle..."

"My shoulders are too broad and they always bump into me," He laughed, looking down at her, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Exactly. I'll let you take it," She said, nodding up at him.

"Risk you getting something spilled on you? No way," He said, resting his hand on her shoulder. "I'll just fly to New York."

Haley lifted the hat off of his head, placing it on her own. "Great, now I'm going to have to sit in the aisle and have no boyfriend with me."

Nathan smiled down at her, shaking his head. "You're going to be alright, I think," He said, patting her cheek lightly, glancing around.

"I haven't slept alone in my bed in a long time," She complained, stepping closer to him.

"You'll love it," He assured her, nodding at her. "I'm a bed hog."

"Yeah, you are," She said, smoothing her fingers through his hair. "I like it."

He let out a deep breath, sliding his hand down her arm, "You're making this hard for me, Haley."

"I just don't get why you don't want to come back with me," She said, grabbing onto his hand.

"You need a break from me," He commented, winking at her. "Don't worry, I get it. I haven't seen Clay in awhile anyways. I miss him."

"Would you stop saying that?" Haley asked him, letting out a frustrated sigh.

Nathan smiled at her, leaning down and kissing her lightly, "I'm sorry this week wasn't great," He said softly.

"I had an amazing time with you, Nathan. That's why I want you to come home with me," She said, resting her hands on his cheeks.

Nathan glanced at the watch on his wrist, shaking his head. "I need to go home, okay?" He said, shrugging his shoulders.

Haley looked up at him, scowling slightly, shaking her head, "I thought we were past this, Nathan..."

"What?" Nathan asked her, frowning. "What does that mean?"

She shook her head, pulling his hat off her head, setting it back down on his, "It means that when things get hard for you, you leave."

"Haley, I live in New York. I'm going home," He said, shaking his head. "I'm not leaving."

Haley looked up when they called that his flight was boarding, shaking her head and sighing. "Whatever, Nathan..." She trailed off, squeezing his bicep. "I'll call you when I land."

"Haley, wait..." Nathan sighed, grabbing onto her hand. "I..." He shifted slightly, feeling his voice catch in his throat. Was he really going to declare his love for her in the middle of an airport while she was annoyed at him? Definitely not the best time...

"You have to go," Haley said, gesturing him away.

"Yeah, right. Talk to you later," He said, leaning down and pressing a kiss to her cheek. "Have a safe flight. Fight for your window seat."

"Yep," She responded, squeezing his hand, taking a step back and watching him as he began to walk away.

"Hey, James," Nathan called back, offering her a smile as she turned around, "I miss you already."

Haley sent him a closed mouth smile, waving at him, then crossing her arms, watching him turn and walk away.

She sunk down in one of the seats near her once he was gone, shaking her head and letting out a frustrated sigh.

She better hear from him when he lands, dammit. She felt like her eyes had been opened a little more this week. A relationship where one person worries they won't hear from the other is definitely not a healthy relationship.

Maybe Nathan wasn't very far off when he said she needed a break from him. Those weren't the exact words she would use, and it wasn't as harsh as it sounded, but she could feel some of her own energy draining from her. But she was so damn worried about him, she didn't want to risk separating herself from him.

She shouldn't lay awake at night and stare at him, hoping that he'll still be next to her in the morning.

They had to find a way to get past this. She had to help him climb over this wall, and the next one, however many it took. They had to start finding a way to work together, or else she couldn't take it anymore. She wasn't going to take it.

She suspected that he figured out that he'd been a weight on her shoulders the previous week, so he was cutting himself off from her to help ease her burdens.

He was so aware of her, and how she was feeling for the most part, but sometimes he didn't act the correct way. He did what he thought would be best, instead of what really would be best.

Haley cared for Nathan so much. He made her feel like she was floating. But she wasn't going to allow herself to fall down a hole for him, and she knew that he wouldn't let her do it either.

She looked up a short while later when she heard her flight being called, standing up and letting out a deep breath. She shut off her phone, and began to head in the direction of her gate.

xxxx

Haley lifted her head up from it's resting spot on her bed, looking around quickly. It took her a moment to register that she was in her own bedroom.

She let out a deep breath, pushing her fingers through her hair, glancing over at the clock. Good lord, she'd slept for like five hours. As soon as she'd arrived at home and her head hit her pillow, she was out like a light.

She sat up slowly, smoothing her hand over the side of the bed that Nathan would have been laying on. She let out a small, slightly disappointed sigh at his absence, before standing to her feet. She'd completely spaced calling him, or even checking to see if he'd called her.

Haley stepped out of the room slowly, looking into the dark kitchen, letting out a quiet sigh. She grabbed her carry on bag up off it's spot on the floor, pulling her phone out of one of the pockets. She turned it back on, walking over to the fridge and pulling it open.

She sighed softly, shaking her head at how empty it was. She'd need to go to the store after work tomorrow, that's for sure.

She looked over at her phone on the island, watching the screen light up with text messages she'd gotten over the last few hours. A few of them were from Nathan, some from Brooke and from Quinn and her mother. She had several missed calls from Nathan, raising her phone to her ear to listen to the messages he'd left.

'Hey, Hales, it's me. Just give me a call back when you get this,' His voice rang, causing a smile to form on her face.

She tapped the next message, that he'd left about an hour later, sucking in a deep breath.

'Hey baby, it's me again. I'm sure you're just busy. I don't really like the way we left things at the airport. Give me a call when you have the chance. Thanks.'

She clicked on the final message, holding the phone beneath her ear and shoulder, pulling open her freezer. She grabbed the carton of ice cream out of it, dropping it on the counter.

'Hey, sorry if you're busy. Just want to make sure you're alright. I'm going over to Clay's house so I don't know if I'll answer my phone, but I'll try to check it. If I don't get the chance to talk to you, sweet dreams. Have a great day at school tomorrow.'

She smiled at his sweet words, grabbing a spoon and opening up the carton, digging the spoon in. She tapped on Nathan's contact, holding her phone up to her ear.

'This is Nathan Scott, you know what to do.'

Haley bit her lip at the disappointment that bubbled within her at the sound of his answering machine.

"Hi, Nathan... It's Haley. Sorry I missed your calls, I took the longest nap of my life. I think we need to talk, so call me when you have a minute," She hummed into the phone, dropping her phone onto the counter, tucking her hair behind her ear, picking up the carton and walking over to the couch, sitting down and turning on the television.

xxxx

"Take that you zombies!" Quinn yelled, dropping the controller.

"I need help, woman! I'm drowning over here," Clay said, his eyes wide as he stared at the screen.

"Me too, Quinn!" Chase said loudly, his fingers working expertly at the controller in his hands, tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth.

"I can't save both of you," Quinn groaned, glancing over at her husband. "I'm so sorry, baby," She said, shaking her head.

"No, do not let me die," Clay argued with her, leaning forward slightly.

"Chase is closer to me," Quinn said simply, shrugging. "You can join Nathan now."

"Nathan died four seconds into the game, he can handle being on his own," Clay argued with her, "Come save me."

"Forget him, Quinn," Chase said, letting out a victory shout as Quinn followed his advice. "Suck it, Clayton!"

Nathan chuckled quietly, rolling his eyes at the scene that was playing in front of him. His friends were idiots.

Clay sighed as his screen went red, dropping the controller to the ground, crossing his arms and pouting. "I can't believe this."

"None of you even bothered to save me," Nathan said, shaking his head and hugging a pillow to his chest, picking up his beer bottle off the coffee table, taking a drink from it.

"We've been saving your ass for years, Nate. You'd think eventually you'd get good at this game," Chase responded, shrugging his shoulders.

"Sorry, Nathan, I was making my way over there but I had to help Clay," Quinn said, glancing in his direction.

"And then when it comes down too it, she lets me go anyways," Clay groaned, leaning back and letting out a deep breath. "Whatever, let's let them play. Nate, do you want to go get another drink with me?"

Nathan looked at him, sighing softly and standing up. "Sure," He said, pushing his hand through his hair.

"Great, I have some more in the fridge in the garage," Clay said, standing up and gesturing for him to follow.

Nathan followed him outside, shoving his hands into his pockets, watching as Clay pulled open the fridge.

"So, you didn't tell her," Clay commented, staring into the fridge, tapping his fingers on the door handle.

"I almost did," Nathan said, letting out a deep sigh. "It was on the tip of my tongue almost all week."

"What happened, buddy?" Clay asked, finally looking over at him. "You look like ass."

"She's going to break up with me," Nathan said softly, sitting down on the concrete steps that led up into the house.

Clay raised his eyebrows, looking down at him and frowning slightly. "What makes you say that?"

"I'm becoming a burden. She's giving me a little longer, because she still cares about me," He said, pushing his hand through his hair.

"She told you that?" Clay asked him, shaking his head, closing the fridge and sitting down next to him.

"No," Nathan responded, letting out a deep breath. "I'm doing exactly what I told her not to let me do. I'm breaking her..."

"Haley's a strong woman, Nathan... Trust me. It'll take a lot more than your bad attitude to break her," Clay laughed, patting his shoulder.

"She's better off without me, y'know?" Nathan said, pushing his hand through his hair.

"So what if she is?" Clay asked, shrugging his shoulders.

"I did something crazy," Nathan said, kicking his foot at the ground.

"What did you do?" Clay asked him curiously, resting his elbows on his knees.

"So... I told her that I had to go see Rachel, and told her about the time capsule thing and everything, and then she forgave me. That surprised me, but the more I think about it... I think she just did it so I would stop arguing with her," Nathan said softly, looking at Clay's car.

"Okay..." Clay trailed off, nodding for him to proceed.

"And I went over to Rachel's with her, and my stress level was high, my anger levels were high... Rachel didn't answer the door, and something just kind of snapped in me, and I went inside and started searching through her house," Nathan said, pushing his hand through his hair.

"Oh, Nate..." Clay groaned, shaking his head and letting out a deep sigh.

"I know, I know..." Nathan responded, rolling his eyes at himself. "She talked me down a little bit, but I was pissed and jittery. We went downstairs, and I figured out that she had to have been outside since she couldn't hear the door, and there she was, swimming in her pool," He said, looking down.

"Did you drool over her this time?" Clay asked him, looking over at him.

"No," Nathan said, pressing his face into his hands. "I keep screwing up, and I just... I'm tired of being that guy that everyone just expects to screw up."

"Yeah," Clay said, patting his back and sighing softly.

"I started yelling at Rachel. Full on shouting at her," He said, shaking his head. "Rachel had brought in some beers, and I just started downing them."

"Shit," Clay commented, shaking his head. "Sounds a lot like you six months ago."

"I know," Nathan groaned, rubbing his eyes and letting out a deep breath. "There was one point where Haley had to tell me to sit down."

"This doesn't sound good," Clay commented, clearing his throat.

"Yeah, no shit Sherlock," Nathan grumbled, pushing his hand through his hair. "I wouldn't let a damn thing Rachel was saying her through to me, and I just kept shouting at her. Haley was not impressed."

"What eventually happened?" Clay asked, raising his eyebrows and looking at him.

"I tossed my keys at Haley, picked up the beers, and got the hell out of there. I don't know what Haley said to her after that," Nathan said, shaking his head and letting out an annoyed sigh. "I'd been so careful not to let myself be that guy around her, and in four seconds, Rachel messed-"

"Hold on," Clay said, shaking his head and looking at him, raising his eyebrows. "Who messed it up?"

"Rachel-"

"No."

Nathan let out an annoyed sigh, pushing his hand through his hair. "I messed it up," He said quietly, shaking his head.

"There you go. If you want to be in a committed relationship, you have to take responsibility for your actions. Shape up, Nate..." Clay said, looking at him and nodding.

"We got back to my house, and I just kept drinking," Nathan said, looking down. "I started freaking out because I couldn't get the smell of Rachel's house off of me, and I made myself sick. Ran into the bathroom and hurled my guts out," He grumbled, rolling his eyes. "And she just sat outside the door, waiting for me to finish, and then took me upstairs and made me take a hot bath. I fell asleep, and eventually she had me just go to bed."

"Sounds more like a babysitter to me," Clay said, shrugging his shoulders and looking over at him. "How much do I need to start paying her?"

"Right?" Nathan groaned, running his fingers through his hair. "I appreciate her so much, but she should've just kicked me in the stomach and told me not to be such a jackass next time."

"So what happened next?" He asked, raising his eyebrows and looking over at his friend.

Nathan let out a deep breath, kicking his foot lightly, "I tried to make the rest of the week more fun for her, y'know? Hung out with Lucas a little, with Lily... I let her show me the places that she used to go. I tried to make sure she was having fun, but I couldn't shake the feeling of needing something to drink. I just felt like how I used to feel all the time. I didn't drink anything else, but I-"

"You wanted to," Clay finished, nodding his head. "Not to mention you decided to stop taking care of yourself."

"What does that mean?" Nathan asked him, raising his eyebrows.

"It's Pancake Sunday and you haven't asked me about it once. You haven't eaten anything I've put out. Don't think I don't notice these things, I lived with you for a long time." Clay said, nodding at him, reaching over and rubbing his cheek. "You're all scruffy too."

"That's just because it works for me," Nathan joked, pushing Clay's hand away. He let out a deep breath, looking down, "She deserves better."

"Nathan, come on..." Clay sighed, looking at him. "She's human too. She understands that people make mistakes, okay?"

"She told me what she's looking for, and at the moment... I don't meet any of the qualifications. I knew it was a bad idea to take her to California, I knew it," He groaned, pushing his hand through his hair. "We're over. I can feel it."

"Chill, man..." Clay said, patting his back lightly. "So what if it's over, right? You're Nathan Scott, you can bounce back."

Nathan sighed, pushing his hands through his hair, "I don't want it to be over, Clay. But I'm tired of making her miserable."

Clay nodded his head, looking at the ground and sighing softly. "Nathan, I figured out very early on that Haley doesn't put up with bullshit. So if she didn't care about you enough to see past your mistakes and see the real guy underneath, she wouldn't waste her time. She's tough, Nate."

"I know she is," Nathan sighed, closing his eyes, rubbing his neck lightly. "I just feel like I need her so much more than she needs me."

"Buck up, buddy. You're going to be alright," Clay said, standing up slowly, holding out his hand.

Nathan grabbed onto Clay's hand, allowing him to help him up to his feet. He nodded at him, shoving his hands into his pockets, "Enough of the sappy talk. Let's go destroy some zombies."

xxxx

"How did my boyfriend do at your house tonight?" Haley asked, sitting in her bed, letting out a deep breath.

Quinn laughed, shaking her head, "He passed out on my couch about an hour ago. I think him and Chase are spooning. It's like I live in a frat house sometimes," She informed her.

"Did he seem okay?" Haley asked her softly, pushing her hand through her hair, lifting up her comforter, sliding underneath it.

"He seemed alright to me. Looks a little rough on the edges," Quinn informed her, sighing softly. "Kind of like how he used to look."

"Yeah..." Haley trailed off, brushing her fingers through her hair. "We had a little bit of a rough week."

"So I've heard," Quinn hummed out, letting out a deep breath. "My husband talks in his sleep, and well... When he's awake."

"Those two have the weirdest friendship," Haley laughed quietly, biting her lip and shaking her head.

"You're telling me, all three of them do. I wouldn't be surprised if I wake up and they're all laying in my bed with me," Quinn laughed, shaking her head. "Let me pass my wisdom onto you, Hales."

Haley bit her lip, letting out a deep breath, "I don't know why I'm calling you, Quinny... I just need my big sister."

"Do you want me to get on a plane and head over there? Because I will..." Quinn said quickly.

"No, no..." Haley assured her, "I'll be fine. Really," She said, looking across the room at the TV mounted on the wall. "I don't know if I'm ready for this."

"Yeah..." Quinn let out a deep breath, squeezing her eyes shut for a minute. "I don't blame you."

"That's all you've got for me?" Haley asked her, laughing quietly. "Great."

Quinn laughed, "That's not what I meant. I don't care if you date Nathan or not, Haley. Clay doesn't care either, okay? He loves Nathan to death, but he knows he's a handful."

Haley sighed, shaking her head, crossing her legs. "When I broke up with Chris, it was like being set free. I wasn't looking for another relationship." She let out a small sigh, rolling her eyes. "But when I'm with Nathan, and he's acting like himself, I feel like I'm walking on sunshine. I mean, he's the best boyfriend. He brings me flowers, takes me to lunch, and I know it's a little too much information, but he's a god in the bedroom, I swear... He makes me so happy, Quinn," She said, letting out a deep breath. "I just don't know what to do."

"The question is, where does the problem stem from?" Quinn asked her, raising her eyebrows.

"I can handle him in dazed out states he gets in to. I can handle his anxiety attacks, Quinn. Those things don't turn me off from him," Haley assured her quickly, shaking her head. "I don't know, I guess I sort of had an out of body experience this past week. We were arguing, and then we went to his old high school and ended up staying there with one of his buddies that was putting on a basketball camp with their old coach. We obviously weren't going to fight in front of everyone, so we ignored it for awhile. And then when he came out once it was over, he was so giddy because he made a free throw, and I just couldn't tear that away from him."

"Hold on," Quinn stopped her quickly, "He did what?"

"He didn't tell Clay?" Haley asked her, frowning. "He made a free throw. He was practically jumping for joy, he was so happy."

"He definitely did not tell Clay," Quinn said, letting out a deep breath. "Clay would've been freaking out. He still would be freaking out. I'm waking him up."

"Wait- you can't do that," Haley said quickly, sighing. "He'll know I told him. And I really didn't know that Clay is asleep in bed next to you, you can go if you need to. I don't want to wake him."

"Oh, he's fine. Sleeps like a rock. I can't believe that Nathan didn't tell him," Quinn said, letting out a loud sigh. "Okay, okay. Then what happened?"

"I couldn't go right back to arguing with him when he was so happy. So we spent the rest of the evening together, going to dinner, he took me to this secluded spot on the beach and we went skinny dipping," Haley said, letting out a deep breath. "And then, we went home and y'know, he was so excited still, and pretty handsy..."

"Wow. How often do you two go at it?" Quinn laughed, shaking her head. "I mean, seriously..."

"Shush," Haley said, rolling her eyes and sighing softly. "Anyways, when I woke up, he was outside in the driveway, shooting some more baskets, and we started talking about Rachel, and he told me more about there history. And I guess the things he was saying made sense to me, and I just... Forgave him. Just like that."

"Oh," Quinn said, clearing her throat. "Interesting choice."

"I know," Haley sighed softly, pushing her fingers through her hair. "And then, after we went and saw Rachel, which is a whole long complicated story with a lot of yelling involved on his part, and some drinking, which I'd never seen before, I was laying in bed next to him, holding him... And I wondered why the hell I was in this position? Why was I holding him? He'd been a jerk, and I couldn't figure out why I was cradling him like he was damaged goods. I watched him trespass after I told him not to, followed him in anyways, and watched him yell at a girl, who remained pretty calm if you ask me, yet here I was, holding him," Haley shook her head quickly, biting her lip.

"Sounds like a busy week," Quinn laughed, shaking her head. "What was your thought process after that?"

"I was kind of kicking myself. Because I really like Nathan, a lot. But like I said, I had an out of body experience where I was looking down at myself, wondering what the hell I was doing. And I realized that it stems back to when I saw him again the day before your wedding. I understand that his past is something he doesn't like to delve into, but I told him all about me right away, and he told me almost nothing. And I guess I just excused the little things, and eventually, it started turning into big things," She said, letting out an annoyed sigh, "Him disappearing from my house in the middle of the night and then ignoring my calls for weeks and then showing up at my house again asking for forgiveness. I have it to him so quickly, because I felt so happy to see him," Haley informed her, shaking her head. "I just feel like I dismissed too many things right off the bat, and now it's getting out of hand."

"Do you still have feelings for him, Haley?" Quinn asked her softly.

"Yes! That's the thing, I still feel the butterflies when I'm around him, I feel my heart race. I feel it all for him," Haley said, letting out a deep sigh. "I just think he needs to realize that he's not broken, and before he does that, I don't know if I'll be able to do anything to help him."

"To be fair, I did warm you," Quinn hummed, clearing her throat.

"Not the time, Quinn..." Haley grumbled, pushing her hand through her hair. "Even right now, I'm annoyed at him, but I can't help but miss having him next to me. Waking up next to him, coming home to him... I just know I'm going to miss that while he's gone."

"Want me to go wake him up?" Quinn asked her, chuckling quietly.

"No, no... That's okay. I'll talk to him tomorrow. I just need to figure out what I'm going to do, y'know?" Haley said softly, shaking her head. "I guess I just needed someone to vent to. I'm sorry for calling you so late."

"I wasn't asleep yet anyways," Quinn hummed in response, letting out a deep breath. "Haley... You don't have to do this, you know... You don't have to be his girlfriend, or take care of him. You can cut your ties right now, and never look back. Of course, that's not saying you'll never see him again, because I can guarantee he'll be the fun Uncle Nathan that brings our kids ridiculously outrageous presents on their birthdays, but you don't have to do this."

"Everyone keeps saying that to me," Haley commented, letting out a deep breath. "But I want to do this. I know the real Nathan, Quinn... I spend the majority of my time with the real Nathan. But sometimes it just gets hard."

"Have you ever thought that maybe you spend the majority of your time with the Nathan that puts on a mask, and the real Nathan is the drunk idiot that's drooling all over my nice couches as we speak?" Quinn asked her younger sister, raising her eyebrows.

"No. Because that's an act, Quinn," Haley said, shaking her head and leaning back against her headboard. "He's so amazing, Quinny... He just doesn't see it, so he doesn't let anyone else to see it either."

"I believe you, Haley, I do... I just don't want you to get hurt," Quinn told her, letting out a deep breath.

"I just need something to change, or else I don't know if I can proceed with this relationship. I really was hoping that going to California with him would make things stronger, but I felt like it had the opposite effect," Haley informed her, pushing her fingers through her hair. "I don't know, I'll figure it out..."

"Hey, I'll break up with him for you if you need me to," Quinn joked.

"Hopefully we don't break up," Haley responded, shaking her head. "We both just need to figure some things out, probably. Maybe it would be easier if he didn't leave when things feel a little rocky."

"I'm sure his intentions were good," Quinn said softly, letting out a small sigh.

"Yeah, he says I need a break from him," Haley said, rolling her eyes and sliding down her bed, laying back against her pillow, looking at the empty spot next to her. "Maybe he's not wrong, but right now... I just wish he was here with me."

"Tell him fly to Tree Hill during the night, and leave in the mornings after you go to work, then fly back when Tree Hill for night again," Quinn laughed, shaking her head.

"Great idea," Haley hummed out, smiling slightly. "I guess I'll let you go to sleep now, Quinn. Thanks for letting me vent."

"Of course," Quinn responded. "If you need me, Haley... I'm there. I can handle a week away from my husband, especially now that Nathan's back, I probably won't see him much anyways."

Haley laughed, letting out a deep breath, "Yeah, well I'm never opposed to you visiting," She informed her. "I'll talk to you later."

"Yep. I love you, Hales. Talk to you later," Quinn responded, before hanging up the phone.

Haley sighed, plugging her phone into the charger next to her bed, shutting off the lamp on her night stand. She shifted slightly so her head was rested on the empty pillow next to her, closing her eyes tightly.

Even after a week of sitting untouched, the pillow still smelled like Nathan.

She felt a tug at her heart strings, shaking her head slowly.

They had to fix something, because she knew one thing for sure, after not even one night apart, she missed his strong arms wrapped around her, his face nuzzling into the crook of her neck.

Her house had felt a little lonely without his cheesy comments, or his eye rolls at the TV show she'd chosen to watch, despite the fact that she knew that he was invested in them as well, though he wouldn't admit it. It felt weird when she was brushing her teeth, not to have him standing next to her.

After months of being together almost all the time, it was weird to know that he was states away, asleep on her sister's couch, instead of in bed next to her.

Their little routine was broken. Really, she just hoped things didn't stay broken.

She couldn't handle a week, or a month, however long it took for him to figure out what he needs.

But she wasn't going to wait around forever.


	26. Chapter 26

**I feel like this is an important chapter, and I hope it kind of clears up some things for anyone that might be a little confused.**

 **Chapter 26**

Nathan looked around his living room, letting out a deep breath, shoving his hand through his hair.

"Well, looks like that's the last of the Christmas decorations," Chase said, smirking slightly. "You know, it's almost April, right?"

"You're hilarious, Chase," Nathan said, rolling his eyes and looking over at him once Clay appeared next to him. "Thanks for the help, guys..."

"Of course, buddy. Quinn's gone all day and I have nothing else going on. Missed the old fooseball table, figured I might as well come help you so I can play on it," Clay chuckled, looking around and shaking his head.

"I don't work until later tonight either," Chase said, sitting down on the couch and sighing softly.

"You guys want something to drink?" Nathan asked them, raising his eyebrows.

"Nah, I'm alright for now. It is only ten o'clock, you know..." Clay said, shaking his head.

"You used to be a lot of fun, Clay," Chase groaned, rolling his eyes. "We used to drink at ten o'clock all the time."

Nathan chuckled at his friends bickering, taking a seat in the chair off to the side of the couch, putting his feet up on the coffee table. "You know, I would kinda like to move into a smaller place..." He said, looking around.

"We can switch houses," Chase offered quickly in response, raising his eyebrows. "Because I would definitely take this amazing house over my apartment."

"Hm..." Nathan trailed off, pretending to think over his offer, tapping his chin lightly. "No, I don't think I'm going to do that."

"Maybe you don't like it because it still looks like my house, Nathan. You have all my pictures up still," Clay said, pointing to the wall.

"Okay, I think it's weird that you put pictures up of you and your frat brothers inside your house. Do you even talk to those guys? Besides us, of course. And you have a picture of you and my brother, which is weird too," Nathan grumbled, rolling his eyes. "I keep them up so I can look at them and think about what an odd guy you are."

"I was trying to make this house turn into a home," Clay defended himself, before rolling his eyes at his own comment. "I put those up when you were in your wheelchair because I knew they pissed you off, but you couldn't reach them to take them down. I was hoping your anger would make you stand up."

"Didn't work," Nathan hummed, letting out a deep breath. He tapped his fingers on the arms of the chairs, standing up slowly. "I'm getting something to drink. Chase?"

"Yeah," Chase said, nodding his head, laying back across the couch.

Nathan walked to the fridge, grabbing two bottles of water, dropping one on Chase's stomach, before sitting back in the chair again.

"Not exactly what I thought you meant, but good call probably," Chase chuckled, shaking his head and laughing.

"What do you guys think I should do?" Nathan asked them, letting out a deep breath, running his hand through his hair.

Clay sat down in the chair across the coffee table from Nathan, raising his eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"I'm just sitting around, man. You guys are at work, and I just stay home and exercise or play video games... What should I do?" Nathan asked again, shrugging.

"You could get a job at the bar I work at," Chase offered, lifting his head up. "I'd hire you, as long as you don't drink everything."

"I was kinda thinking something where I could choose my hours," Nathan sighed, tilting his head to the side. "Or have set in stone hours, something like that. I don't want to work shifts."

"Yeah, well you could invest in me and help me own my own bar," Chase suggested, placing his hands behind his head, yawning.

"Maybe... That sounds a little more like something I'm interested in," Nathan said, nodding over to him. "Not a bad idea."

"Hey, I'd invest too," Clay said, nodding his head, giving Chase a thumbs up.

"Well, damn... Aren't you two the best?" Chase said, grinning at his friends.

"We are," Clay confirmed, crossing his arms, looking over at Nathan. "You could finish school. You dropped out with one semester left."

Nathan raised his eyebrows curiously, sitting up straighter and looking at him. "You think I could do that?"

"I mean, it might take you some catching up, but you have a lot of time," Clay said, shrugging his shoulders slightly.

"Hm. I'll have to look into that a little more," Nathan said, nodding slowly. He rubbed at the circles under his eyes, letting out a deep breath. "That would be kinda cool. Maybe, we'll see though. I hated school, barely passed. I'm not sure if I could pass it with the two years I've taken off."

"It would be cool," Clay confirmed, clearing his throat and letting out a deep breath. He looked over at them, leaning forward slightly, "I'm going to tell you something, okay? And it has to stay between us."

Chase sat up quickly, looking at him and raising his eyebrows. "What is it?"

"You got a little too excited there, buddy. I'm going to need you to take it from an eight to a four," Clay laughed, winking at him.

Nathan nodded his head, looking at his friend, "What is it?" He asked, leaning forward.

"Well, Quinn knows..." Clay said, shifting slightly. "I'm thinking about quitting my job."

"What? But you love being an agent," Nathan argued, shaking his head.

"I know, I know. I'm thinking of starting my own agency. I just can't stand some of the people I work with, my bosses especially..." Clay said, shaking his head and rolling his eyes. "They're all just so... They're just jerks, I don't know how to describe it. I just feel like my reputation is going to go bad if I stick around there."

Nathan shrugged his shoulders, "I mean, why the hell not, right?" He said simply, clearing his throat. "If you think you can do it, then do it."

"Why don't you do it with me then, Nate?" Clay asked him, raising his eyebrows and looking at him.

"What?" Nathan questioned, shaking his head. "I'm not an agent, dude..."

"Well, duh... I know that," Clay laughed, nodding at him. "If you go back to school, and get your degree, I'll let you try it out. And if you like it, then I'll make you my partner."

"What? Are you serious?" Nathan asked him, raising his eyebrows. "I'm just a dumbass jock that spends the majority of his time drunk, I don't know anything about being an agent, Clay..."

"Nate. I'm serious, man... You have a different perspective than I do, because you get what it's like to be one of those players searching for someone to represent them. I mean, luckily, you had the best roommate in college, who was then supposed to be your agent, but you know what they're thinking," Clay nodded at him. "You're more than just a dumbass, drunk, jock."

"Just to clarify, you are those things too," Chase added into the conversation, grinning slightly.

"True. But give it a shot, Nathan... If you go back to school, there's no risk in trying it, right?" Clay asked him, raising his eyebrows.

Nathan grinned, leaning back and crossing his arms. "Okay, maybe I'll think about it. I mean... You never know, right?"

"That's the spirit," Clay said, nodding at him. "Sweet, so I guess I'll keep you in the loop about whether or not I quit."

"You send him daily recap text messages anyways," Chase said, shaking his head and rolling his eyes.

"Shut up, Chase. You're just jealous because I don't send them to you." Clay said, shrugging his shoulders simply.

"Okay, back off," Chase laughed, laying back against the couch, shaking his head.

Nathan chuckled quietly, brushing his fingers across the stubble on his face. He'd missed his friends. It had been way too long since he'd spent time with them. But he missed Haley so damn much. He couldn't help but want to trade them taking up space on his couches, eating his food for her. After just one week without her, he was a little tempted to fly back to Tree Hill and be waiting for her once she got home from work today.

"What are you thinking about, Nate?" Chase asked him, looking over at him.

"Tomorrow will be two years since my mom died," Nathan said, clearing his throat, tapping his fingers on the arm of the couch.

"Wow..." Clay trailed off, letting out a deep breath. "Crazy."

"Yeah," Nathan responded, crossing his arms and shaking his head. "It's odd."

"How are you feeling?" Chase asked him, sitting up once again, clearing his throat.

"I don't think it will hit me until tomorrow," Nathan said simply, shrugging his shoulders. "I think I'll be better than last year."

"Hey, that's something," Clay said, nodding at him. "Good job, buddy."

"Well I took the day off work, and I've been saving up my glass bottles so we can get drunk and hit golf balls at them like we did last year," Chase said, nodding at him.

"Good move," Nathan said, smiling at him. "Thanks, buddy."

"If you want to be alone, we'll let you be alone. But if you need us here, then we'll be here," Clay said to him, nodding his head and letting out a deep breath. "I don't think it's hit you yet, Nathan. I think that tomorrow is going to be really hard."

"Guys, I know I struggle a lot. And it probably will be really, really hard... I realize me being here kind of contradicts what I'm about to say because of the reason why I'm here, but Haley has helped me a lot," Nathan commented, clearing his throat. "I mean... I know it's a long road up, but she's helped me. Maybe we're going to break up, I don't know, but there's no covering up the fact that she made me a stronger person. For the most part, of course..."

"You don't have to be strong all the time, Nate..." Clay said, nodding at him.

Nathan nodded his head, letting out a deep breath, threading his fingers through his hair, "Obviously, I'm not."

"Okay, okay..." Clay groaned, standing up. "I will let you both have one beer, nay, two beers. But that's where I'm cutting us off. We need some limits, guys. Come on," He said, standing up and walking into the kitchen.

Chase laughed, looking over at Nathan. "Did he just say 'nay'?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

Nathan shook his head, smirking slightly. "I think he did."

"I have ears, you know! It's like a ten foot walk from your livingroom to your kitchen!"

xxxx

Nathan looked up from his seat laying back in the recliner, pushing his hand through his hair, glancing over to where his phone was loudly buzzing in his cup holder, rubbing his eyes. He glanced at the clock, looking around to see both of his friends snoring loudly from their spots. Idiots.

He grabbed his phone, narrowing in on his girlfriend's name on his screen, sliding to answer it quickly.

"Hey," He whispered, standing up slowly, rubbing his neck and walking from the livingroom to his exercise room so he wouldn't wake up Clay or Chase.

"Hi," Haley hummed, letting out a deep breath.

"That didn't sound very happy," Nathan commented, taking a seat on his bench press, leaning his back against the bar.

"I did something, and it may or may not upset you, okay?" Haley began, letting out a deep breath. "I probably shouldn't have done it, but..."

"What did you do?" Nathan asked her curiously, raising his eyebrows, frowning slightly.

"Are you home right now?" She countered, letting out a deep breath.

"Yeah... Why?" He trailed off, yawning quietly.

"I'll be there in about five minutes. Well, maybe more. I'm almost there, but the traffic here is so horrible..." Haley informed him, clearing her throat.

"What?" He asked her, sitting up straighter. "You're in New York."

"Yeah, I'm in New York, and it's fine, if you don't want to see me, I don't know, I'll just go straight to Quinn's house," She said, shaking her head.

"Haley, you're crazy. Of course I want to see you," He responded, sighing softly at her words. "Do you want to see me?"

"I flew to New York, didn't I?" Haley responded, sighing softly.

"Good point. I guess, I'll... See you in a few," He said, clearing his throat.

"Yep. Talk to you in a little bit," Haley hummed into the phone, before hanging up.

Nathan raised his eyebrows, pushing his fingers through his hair and smiling slightly. Haley was in New York. This had to he a good sign, right? She missed him enough to fly out and see him.

Their phone conversations had been regular, but a little awkward at times. Neither were entirely sure what to do, or what to say. He figured the big discussions would be better in person, but wanted to let her have some time alone.

He stood up quickly, hurrying out of the room. He had to get rid of the two grown men asleep in his house.

He walked over to Clay, shaking him lightly. When he didn't answer, he kicked his chair, causing him to sit up quickly.

"Geez, man... You know I've missed napping in this chair. This is my third favorite thing in the world, first is Quinn, second is you, and then it's my chair. Well, now it's my chair, then you," Clay groaned, petting the arm of the chair like it was a dog.

"Haley's on her way here right now, so I need you two to get lost," Nathan said simply, walking over and hitting Chase in the head lightly with his unfinished water bottle. "Hey, bartender. Wake up."

"Bar manager," Chase grumbled in response, sitting up slowly. "You are the worst."

"Yeah, I know. Scram," Nathan said, pointing at the door. "I'm keeping the pizza though."

"You didn't even eat any of it-" Chase whined, looking up at him.

"That's okay," Nathan said, shrugging his shoulders. "Maybe I'll eat it later."

"Doubt it, you don't eat anymore," Clay grumbled, stretching his arms above his head.

"Clay, not the time. Go, go, go..." Nathan said, grabbing his arm and pulling him up.

"It's not like you're getting laid or anything. She's my sister in law and I haven't seen her in awhile," Clay groaned, standing up and rubbing his eyes.

"That's not why I'm kicking you out. We have stuff to talk about, and I don't need you two here," Nathan said, shrugging slightly. "I'll see you guys later."

"Whatever, Clay. He's always putting girls before us, we knew that," Chase joked, smirking slightly.

"I know that you two are trying to get under my skin," Nathan grumbled, grabbing onto Chase's shirt collar, grabbing Clay's in the other hand. "Beat it, guys," He grumbled, tugging them towards the door.

"Wait, wait! I need to grab my keys," Clay said, shoving Nathan's arm away. He walked over to chair, feeling around for them.

Nathan let out an annoyed sigh, looking over at Chase and shaking his head. "You guys are killing me," He grumbled.

"Chill out, man," Clay said, lifting up the cushion. "I don't know where they are. Hopefully they didn't accidentally get packed away in one of the Christmas boxes."

"You're kidding," Nathan sighed, pushing his hand through his hair. "Okay, well... I guess we can either go look for them or you can take my car."

"Yeah, Quinn doesn't really like me unless the car is in the garage. I guess she thinks it's hot or something," Clay joked, walking into the kitchen. He looked at the countertops, shaking his head. "I don't know where they are."

"Of course you don't," Nathan sighed, walking over to the kitchen, opening the fridge and looking around.

"I doubt I left them in the fridge, man... Here, let me look inside the pizza box," Clay hummed, walking over. He slid his keys out of his pocket, dropping them inside the box and grinning over at Chase. "Dude! I found them, Chase... Let's go," He said, picking up the box quickly.

"Hey! That's mine," Nathan said, following after the two of them as they rushed towards the door.

"Jokes on you! I had my keys the whole time! I just wanted the pizza!" Clay called over his shoulder, yanking the door open.

"Clay, I'm going to beat your-" Nathan stopped in his tracks, nearly running into Chase's back as he stepped outside. "Haley! Hey!" He said, side stepping his friends quickly, walking over to her.

"Bad time?" Haley asked them, raising her eyebrows and laughing quietly.

"Bye Hales! Great seeing you!" Clay said to her, patting her shoulder as both him and Chase hurried to his car.

"Bye, Clay," She called after him in a questioning tone, shaking her head.

"It's not a bad time," Nathan assured her, hugging her briefly. "Come inside," He said, slipping her bag off her shoulder onto his own, grabbing onto her hand and pulling her into the warm house.

Haley sent him a small smile, letting out a deep breath. She looked around his home, brushing her hair over to one shoulder, taking off her jacket slowly.

"I'll take that," Nathan said, setting her bag down by the door, taking her jacket and hanging it up in the closet not too far off.

"Thank you," She responded, looking at him and letting out a deep breath. "Hi," She said, leaning forward and pressing a light kiss to his cheek.

"Hey, sorry about those two. They're idiots," Nathan said, sending her a small smile. "Come in, make yourself at home. You surprised me."

"Yeah, I'm sorry. It was kind of a last minute decision, I got off work, and I decided to come here," She informed him, rubbing her neck lightly.

"Well, I'm happy to see you," He commented, resting his hand on her shoulder, letting out a deep breath. "We have a lot to talk about."

"Yeah, we do. That's why I'm here. It's better to do it in person, rather than over the phone," She informed him, nodding her head.

Nathan swallowed thickly at her words, letting out a deep breath. This was going to suck, he could tell. No one just flew to another state unless they were planning taking a big step in the relationship.

"I agree," He informed her, running his fingers through his hair. "Can I get you anything to eat? Or drink?"

"I think I'm alright for now," Haley said, resting his hand on her shoulder. "You look thin."

"I'm okay," Nathan assured her, stepping to the side. "Make yourself at home, Hales..." He said, gesturing around.

Haley let out a deep breath, sitting down on the couch slowly, leaning back against it, looking up at the TV.

Nathan looked at her, scratching his neck lightly. He walked into the kitchen, grabbing two water bottles, despite what she said earlier. He walked into the living room, taking a seat next to her.

"Sorry, I kinda just woke up," He chuckled, rubbing his eyes and letting out a deep breath, grabbing the remote and shutting off the TV.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," She said, offering him a small smile.

This conversation was going so horribly. There were so many words hanging in the air, and neither were sure exactly what to say.

"You didn't have to come visit me, I would've came to you," Nathan commented, shrugging slightly. "I know you're busy."

"I'm not that busy," Haley urged him, shaking her head. "I can't afford this every weekend, so don't expect it a lot," She joked, biting her lip lightly.

Nathan smiled, looking down at her and letting out a deep breath, "So, let's talk." He said, nodding slowly.

"I think it's important that we talk, but I also want you to know that if you want to do this next weekend instead, we can hold off until then. I want to be here for you, okay?" She said softly, resting her hand on his arm, nodding at him quickly.

"No, no..." He trailed off, shrugging. "Let's just talk, I mean... I'm tired of the tension."

Haley looked at him, letting out a small sigh. "Okay, Nathan. I'm here because we need to talk, but I'm also here because of what tomorrow is. I know it might be hard, so I'm here..." She began, resting her hand on his arm lightly. "But, I'm not staying here, in your house."

He raised his eyebrows, looking down at her. "Why not?"

"Because, I miss Quinn. And because if I stay here, even if I start in a guest room, or on the couch, I'll end up in your room, and then we'll just be back to square one," She said simply, looking up at him.

Nathan sighed softly, pushing his hand through his hair and nodding slowly. "Okay..." He grumbled out, crossing his arms.

"I have this bad habit, Nathan... I don't know what it is. Maybe I just see the good in people, maybe I just like people to be happy," Haley began, scooting over a little bit so that she could turn and face him. "But I let them push things too far. I was in a terrible relationship for a long time, and I just wasn't myself, Nathan. It was grueling, and long... But I've told you about it," She said, nodding at him.

"I know, Haley..." He trailed off, adverting his eyes from hers, rubbing his neck lightly.

"My boyfriend in high school was absolute scum, Nathan. I told you about him too, a long time ho. He probably slept with five other girls while we were together because I wouldn't sleep with him. and I heard the rumors. He told me they weren't true, and I guess I just believed him. Until he tried to sleep with Brooke, then I finally cut him off," Haley said simply, looking over at him. "I've dated shitty guys, Nathan. Not all of them have been bad, but somehow I end up with the egotistical, nonfaithful ones."

Nathan felt guilt close in on him as she described some of the guys she dated, letting out a deep breath. He looked over at her, nodding his head slowly.

"Some of the best guys I've dated, have ended up just being one night stands," She told him, shaking her head. "Not that it happens often or anything, but I always have fun with them, and then I never really see them again."

He swallowed thickly, nodding at her. "Yeah..." He trailed off, wiping his palms on his shorts.

"And then I ran into you, Nathan. It seemed like fate... You were always my 'what if' guy. The guy that I had random dreams about once a year, and then I thought about you for a few weeks..." She said, resting her hand on top of his. "And you were cute, and funny, and nice..."

"And then I ended up being just like the rest of them," Nathan commented, offering her an uncomfortable smile.

"No, not exactly..." She said, shaking her head and letting out a deep breath. "I just-"

"You let things slip, I get it," Nathan said simply, shrugging and looking over at her.

"We knew each other for pretty close to two months before I knew really anything about you," Haley informed him, letting out a deep breath. "And for some reason, I was just okay with that. Well... I wasn't okay with it, but I let you in my house, around my nieces and nephews, Nathan."

"It's hard for me to talk about..." He trailed off, rubbing his neck.

"I know that, Nathan. And I don't blame you, of course. It's in the past now, but I just let you around some of the most important people in my life," Haley said, frowning.

"You know Clay, and he's my best friend. That was a good reason to trust me," He said, shrugging slightly.

"Maybe, but they didn't exactly give me glowing recommendations, Nathan. You know they didn't want us to talk to each other, right?" She said, raising her eyebrows.

"I know..." He sighed, nodding at her, resting his water bottle against his forehead.

"I think part of me just let it go because you were my sixteen year old fantasy," Haley said, looking over at him. "But, Nathan... You could've been a drug addict, you could've been on the run from the police, anything, and I just let you into my home and didn't ask any questions."

"But I wasn't, I'm not," He said, shrugging his shoulders. "Haley, I think you're blowing this a little out out of proportion."

"I don't think I am," She said simply, resting her hand on his arm, letting out a deep breath.

Nathan met her gaze, and he felt himself start to slip a little bit. None of this was very surprising to him, but... He loved her so much. Maybe he should've just told her right away. He could practically hear his heart pounding in his ears, just from looking at her. In the moments where they could potentially lose whatever they were making, and walk away... He couldn't stop thinking about how much he loved her.

"You're right, Hales... I should've let you in sooner, maybe..." He responded, clearing his throat. "You were nothing but open with me, and I should've at least opened up a little bit."

"And you didn't talk to me for weeks, and showed up at my door. I pretty much forgave you like it was nothing..." She rolled her eyes at herself even now, breaking her gaze from his and looking towards the wall.

"Haley, c'mon... I mean, I told you I was sorry," He sighed, shaking his head. "I am sorry, still... You know that. I did open up a little more to you after that."

"Nathan, I know that, and I'm grateful for that. I know that it's hard for you to talk about things, even now. But do you see the point I'm making? I just dropped everything the moment you walked back into my life. We pretty much acted like it never happened," She said simply, shaking her head. "And I kinda think that the only reason you came back is because you saw the fury of Brooke Davis."

"That's not true," He said quickly, resting his hand on her shoulder. "You were my 'what if' sixteen year old fantasy too, Haley..."

Haley let out a deep breath, looking over at him. "I guess somewhere along the lines I just decided it would be easier to forgive you, than to not have you."

"And now you're saying the opposite..." He said slowly, nodding his head and letting out a deep breath.

"No, Nathan. That's not what I'm saying," She said, shaking her head. "But I never made you work for it. I mean there's a difference between, 'Sorry I stepped on your toe' and 'Sorry I gave that girl a stare down and pretended you weren't even standing next to me' and I just acted like it was pretty much the same thing, didn't I?"

Nathan let out a deep breath, nodding his head slowly. "I had a good reason as to why I needed to see her again, Haley, you know that."

"Maybe so, Nathan, but was checking her out part of your reason?" Haley asked him, shaking her head and letting out a deep sigh.

"I told you that I was sorry," He said, looking down at her. "Sometimes that's all I can say, Haley."

"I just jumped into bed with you the next day. I mean, come on, right? It's great, Nathan, that you played basketball again, and I'm still so proud of you. But I didn't even make you work for it!" She leaned back against the couch, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment.

"I broke you," Nathan said softly, looking over at her. "Didn't I?"

"No, baby, no..." She said, resting her hand on his back for a second. "You didn't break me. But some things need to start changing, Nathan, which I'm sure you already knew."

"Yeah," He said, nodding slowly. He let out a deep breath, shifting his gaze towards the wall in front of him, leaning back against the couch.

"I just need us to be more than we are," She said softly, pushing her fingers through her hair. "I need to be the only woman you want to be looking at..."

"But you are, Haley! You are the only one I want to look at," He told her quickly.

"But I don't feel like it, Nathan... I mean, you can say all the sweet things in the world to me, but I don't feel them unless you prove it to me," She argued with him, shaking her head quickly.

Nathan looked at her again, nodding his head. "Okay. I'll prove it to you."

"How are you going to do that?" Haley asked him, leaning away from him slightly, biting her lip.

"I don't know, Haley. But I'll do it," He said, shrugging. "This is the first real relationship I've ever been in. It's more than just sex to me, so I'll prove it to you."

Haley nodded at him, letting out a deep breath, "Okay..." She said softly, looking away from him again. "I think that we were always headed downhill, Nathan. The start of our relationship was probably the peak... But I feel like last week was full speed ahead, let's see how much damage we can do in one week."

"You told me you had a great time, Hales. There's another problem right now, if we're throwing them out. I'm not a baby, you don't need to sugarcoat things for me. If you're having a shitty time, just tell me," He grumbled, crossing his arms and looking over at her.

"You put so much effort into trying to make that week, at least the last half, fun, Nathan..." Haley told him, sighing softly.

"I don't care," He said, shaking his head and letting out a deep sigh. "Whatever, I know last week sucked."

"We've established that I forgave you too quickly for the Rachel thing, but I do think your reason for seeing her was a good one, which was why I was willing to let that go, even though I shouldn't have," She began, letting out a deep breath, crossing her legs and looking over at him.

"This is where things are going to get messy, I can feel it..." Nathan informed her, rubbing his neck and meeting her eyes.

"You acted completely irrational, Nathan," She told him, a scowl forming on her face. "You flew off the handle! I was shocked, I mean, if you could've heard the thoughts that were going through my head..."

"You don't get it, Haley," He said simply, shaking his head. "You don't."

"I know that I don't, Nathan... But you pretty much broke into her house! If I had not been there, you would've gone through all her things, who knows what else you would've done," She said, shaking her head.

"Haley, you'll never understand it," He told her again, pushing his hands through his hair.

"You scared me, Nathan," She told him, grabbing his face and making him look at her.

Nathan froze at her words, staring down at her. He felt a lump form in his throat. She was scared of him. This girl that he loved was scared of him. He couldn't quite read her eyes, but he could tell how serious she was. She was scared of him.

"Oh," He choked out, looking at her. "Haley, I..."

He couldn't even find the words to say, because there simply were none. He couldn't take back those moments of fear that he'd instilled in her. He could apologize a million times, but those feelings would always be there.

Haley nodded at him, letting out a deep breath, "I didn't know your conversation with her was going to be so hateful."

"I didn't mean, I um..." He began, looking down at her.

He still couldn't think clearly. He didn't want her to be afraid of him. It was like a flip of the switch, and all the sudden he felt like he was Dan Scott.

They stayed quiet for awhile after Haley released her grip on his face, not really looking at each other, just the occasional glance.

"I didn't mean to get so angry," Nathan said finally, rubbing his neck. "We just got to her house, and it was an overwhelming feeling, and we went inside, and everything just made me angrier. And when I saw her... I just felt like I was going to lose it."

"You did lose it," Haley said, nodding her head and letting out a deep breath. "And I sat there, and watched you go off on her, and part of me admired how calm she was being, because if you were ever yelling at me like that, I would be right in your face yelling back at you."

"I wouldn't..."

"You say that now, Nathan, but you never know what could happen in the future. I could do something to set you off," Haley said, shaking her head at him. "Every night this week, I was laying in my bed, thinking about this. About why you were so mad. I mean, I get the anger, Nathan... But there was nothing she could do but apologize to you, and I'm not exactly Rachel's number one fan, of course, but she couldn't do anything else. She didn't know her actions were going to result in what they did, and she shouldn't have done it, but there's nothing she could do to take it back. She couldn't apologize to Jimmy Edwards, or to Keith..."

Nathan clenched his hands into fists, looking over at her, letting out a deep breath. "She wasn't sincere..."

"She seemed very sincere to me, Nathan. Do you think she doesn't feel bad?" Haley asked him, raising her eyebrows. "I don't even know her, and what I do know, I don't really like that much, but I can guarantee she feels bad."

"What's your point, Haley?" He asked her, clenching his jaw.

Haley smoothed her fingers over his sharp jaw line to ease it, letting out a deep breath, "I've spent a lot of time thinking about it, and the only explanation I came up with is that you blame her, just like you blame yourself for your mother's death."

Nathan looked at her, letting out a deep breath, "What?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"You feel like you're the reason behind why your mother ended her life, and it makes you feel better to take that rage out on someone else for once," She said, shrugging her shoulders slightly.

"That's crazy..." Nathan trailed off, tearing his eyes from hers, shaking his head.

"Is it?" She asked, raising her eyebrows. "You seem pretty defensive to me, Nathan..."

Nathan squeezed his eyes shut, letting out a deep breath.

She was spot on. He had never really thought about it that way, but wow. She was completely right. He could feel his palms sweating at her words. It made him feel better to take his anger out on someone else for once, rather than on himself.

"Maybe it's not far off..." He mumbled, looking towards the wall, letting out a deep breath.

"You need to figure some things out, Nathan. We both do. Because right after you threw a tantrum, grabbed Rachel's beer, and walked out. As I was leaving, she wished me luck, and all I could think about was how I'm going to need it," Haley said, shaking her head and sighing softly.

"I never wanted you to see me like that," Nathan commented, looking over at her. "I'd been careful. I didn't want you to see me as a drunk wash up."

"I still don't see you like that, Nathan. Know that," She assured him, grabbing onto his hand. "And then we went back to your house, and you were a completely different person than you'd been when we left that morning. You were drinking, and angry... And I was shocked. Frankly, I was, and still am annoyed by how you treated Rachel."

"I know," He responded, shrugging his shoulders and letting out a deep breath. "You were scared of me."

"And you freaked out about the smell of her house, and I felt so horrible for you while I waited outside the bathroom for you. But I realized something, as you were passed out on top of me in the bathtub... This didn't make sense. Why the hell was I doing this for you? You hadn't apologized to me for the way you behaved at Rachel's house, you hadn't even blinked an eye. I shouldn't have been there with you. I should've made you deal with it until you were ready to be adult enough and prove that you were sorry," Haley told him, shaking her head and letting out a deep breath.

"You were taking care of me," He offered, sending her a small smile, squeezing her hand lightly.

"Maybe so, but you're an adult. I'm an adult. I don't need to walk you through all of your hardships," Haley said, looking over at him. "So I'm done, Nathan. I'm done letting you walk all over me. I know you don't do it on purpose, but I can't let it keep happening, because I'm tired."

Nathan nodded slowly, looking down at his lap and letting out a deep breath, "I get it, Haley. I really do," He said simply. "I never should've let myself fall for someone like you."

"Don't, Nathan," Haley groaned, shaking her head. "Don't try and make me feel bad, because it's going to work."

"I'm not saying it to make you feel bad," He said quickly, shaking his head. "I'm really not."

She let out a deep breath, leaning back against his couch, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"I'm not sure if we just broke up or not," Nathan commented, flashing her a small, painful smile.

Haley looked over at him, shaking her head. "I don't want to end our relationship, Nathan..." She said softly, grabbing onto his hand, brushing her thumb over his knuckles. "But I want to slow things down. I just think we got so caught up in each other, and how it seemed like fate that my sister married your best friend," She said softly, squeezing his hand lightly.

"I guess I kind of see that," He responded, rubbing his neck, letting out a quiet sigh. "My feelings for you are real though, Haley..." He whispered, holding her hand against his heart.

She smiled slightly, nodding her head, "Mine are too, Nathan. I promise. But I need more from you, and I need more from myself."

He looked over at the wall once again, pushing his hand through his hair, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. He closed his eyes for a second, mentally kicking himself that he was so close to letting this amazing girl slip through his hands.

"So, I'm not going to accept an apology," Haley broke him from his thoughts, standing up slowly. She walked over to where her suitcase was laying, unzipping it and picking up an object out of it. "The first thing I want you to do..." She began, walking back over to him and sitting down, holding it out to him. "Is read this book."

Nathan looked down quickly, knowing what it was before his eyes connected with it. Lucas' book.

He looked over at her, taking it from her slowly, letting out a deep breath. "Really?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"I think it's important that you do, Nathan," She said, tapping the cover carefully. "And then, I want you to think long and hard about your life, and the decisions you've made, and the ones that you're making today."

He nodded slowly, letting out a deep breath. "Okay..." He trailed off, rubbing his neck.

"I want you to talk to Rachel again," She said, looking up at his face, nodding her head.

"Haley, come on..." He groaned, setting the book down on the couch next to him. "Why?"

"Because part of me thinks you owe her a big ass apology," She said simply, "Of course, I'm not trying to force you to apologize to her, but I want you to listen to the words that leave her mouth, instead of screaming at her."

"Whatever," He sighed, rubbing his fingers down his face, nodding his head.

"And then we can talk about us, okay?" She said, shrugging slightly.

"What do you mean by that?" He asked her, frowning slightly. "I thought you said we weren't breaking up."

"We aren't, Nathan. At least, I don't want to. But I'm tired. Can't you see that?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows.

He looked at her, resting his hand on her cheek lightly, brushing his thumb over her cheekbone, "I'm sorry," He said quietly, nodding. "I'll try to be better, Haley..."

"I'll try to be better too," She told him, letting out a deep breath. "I'm sorry to spring all of this on you."

"I saw it coming," He said simply, letting his hand fall from her cheek. "I wish I'd been more for you."

"Don't say that, Nathan," She assured him, tapping his leg.

"Sure feels like a break up, Haley..." He trailed off, looking down at her.

"It's not, Nathan. When I say we talk about us, I mean we delve into the relationship, and we decide if we proceed or if we end it," She said, grabbing his hand and squeezing it lightly.

"So, are we on a break?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows.

"I don't know, sort of, I guess..." She sighed, looking down at his hand.

"I don't want to stop seeing you. It could take me awhile to clean my life up," He said, squeezing her hand lightly.

"I just want growth, Nathan... I feel like we're back at the beginning, and the last few months have hardly happened," She said quietly, shaking her head. "I don't want us to stop seeing each other. I don't want you to stop pulling me into a big bear hug when you see me, or kissing my forehead, because I love those little things. I just want to feel like we're in a relationship. I want you to make a mistake, and work for forgiveness, make me feel like you're sorry, the same as when I make mistakes, I want you to make me work for it, Nathan. I don't walk on water, I'm not perfect, and I know that, and I need you to know that too."

He let out a deep breath, closing his eyes, shaking his head slowly. "The time I've spent with you, Haley... They've been the best months I've had in a really long time," He said to her, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You're my girl, Haley James. Seeing you again, made me feel like things were looking up."

She offered him a smile, brushing her thumb down his long fingers, raising his hand to her lips and pressing a delicate kiss to her knuckle, "You're my tall, dark, and handsome blue eyed California boy that all my friends thought I made up, Nathan... And this doesn't change that, okay?"

He nodded slowly, letting out a deep breath. "Okay," He mumbled, leaning back and closing his eyes for a second, glancing at the time. "This sucks."

"Maybe so, but I think it's for the best..." Haley said softly, looking over at him. "It's not a goodbye, Nathan. I know I tried to convince you to come to Tree Hill with me, but I think that was because I was so worried about you. But after talking on the phone with you all this week, I can see that you're going to be alright. So I think it's a good idea if you continue staying in New York."

"Told you," He grinned at her, shaking his head and letting out a deep breath. "I'm really sorry, Hales, for stringing you along, I mean... I really didn't mean to do it."

"I know," She said softly, nodding at him. "It's partially my fault, I should have been more vocal, because that probably would have helped you more than just pushing it to the side."

He nodded at her, looking down at the book sitting next to him, before glancing back at her. "You really want me to read this?"

"I really do," She said simply, letting out a deep breath. "I know it might be hard, but Lucas writes so elegantly. You should support your brother."

Nathan picked it up, flipping open the book and sighing softly. "Well... Maybe," He said, nodding at her.

She smiled at him, "Maybe is better than no, right?" She hummed, tapping his knee lightly.

"I guess," He said, sighing softly and looking at her. "What did he change my name to?"

"You'll have to read it and find out," She said, nodding at him.

He let out a small sigh, pushing his hand through his hair, leaning forward slightly. "I guess this is it, huh?"

"I don't know if I'd phrase it like that..." She trailed off, shaking her head.

"It's something temporary that might be something permanent," Nathan said, nodding at her slowly.

She rested her hand on his arm, letting out a small sigh, "I care about you so much, Nathan."

"I know," He said, shrugging his shoulders, "No matter how much you care about me, and I care about you, we can't be in a successful relationship without a a give and take. You've been giving too much, and I've been taking too much."

Haley offered him a small smile, "Why don't we just take it slow, okay? Figure things out again..."

"We're friends again," He commented, sighing softly.

"Stop it, Nathan," She argued with him, shaking her head. "We could never be just friends, you know that, I know that, okay?"

"Got it," He said, leaning back against the couch.

She stood up, looking down at him. "I think I'm going to go, Nathan," She said, shaking her head. "I have one more thing I want you to do for me though, Nathan."

"Okay," He said, looking up at her and raising his eyebrows.

"Please, please, please, don't drink after I leave," She said, nodding at him.

He looked past her, tapping his fingers on his knees, before standing up. "I won't make any promises that I'm not sure I can keep," He said, shrugging his shoulders. "Can I give you a ride to Quinn and Clay's?"

Haley let out a sigh at his response, shaking her head. "Sure, Nathan."

"Cool," He said, walking into the kitchen, grabbing his car keys off the hook, looking over at her. "Alright," He said, letting out a deep breath. He walked over to the front door, picking up her suitcase.

Haley followed him, grabbing her jacket and pulling it on, "I can call a car, Nathan."

"No, I want to give you a ride," He said, shrugging his shoulders. He looked over at her, "Ready?"

"I guess so," She said, sighing softly, looking around his house, biting her lip lightly.

"Alright," He said quietly, leading her over to the garage. He stepped over to his car, pulling open the passenger door, tossing her suitcase into the back seat, before hurrying over to the driver door.

Haley watched him, before climbing into the open door, pulling it closed and looking over at him. "I'm not sorry, Nathan."

"I don't think you should be, Haley. I think I'm a train wreck, and you deserve better than someone who is going to force you to compromise who you are," He said quickly, pulling out of the garage and letting out a deep breath.

"Don't do that, Nathan! You're so self deprecating," She said, shaking her head quickly. "You aren't a train wreck, okay?"

Nathan glanced over at her, shrugging his shoulders. "Whatever, Haley. I'm not upset with you."

"You should be, Nathan. I'm upset!" She argued with him, shaking her head. "Just tell me how you are really feeling, Nathan."

"I don't know how I feel," He said simply, leaning back in his seat, gripping the steering wheel.

She let out a sigh, crossing her arms. "Well, when you know how you feel, you can give me a call."

"I don't know, Hales..." He said, glancing in her direction. "I'll figure it out eventually."

"You should try talking to someone, Nathan..." Haley suggested quietly, looking at him and biting her lip nervously.

"I know, I probably won't, but I know," He said simply, shrugging his shoulders.

Okay, maybe he was acting a little bit spiteful towards her. He didn't really have a reason to be angry, because she deserved the things she was telling him to do, but he felt a little defensive at the idea of talking to a shrink.

"Alright, well it's your choice," She said, letting out a deep breath, looking out of the front windshield.

After another half hour of silence, they finally arrived in front of Clay and Quinn's house.

Nathan looked over at her, letting out a deep breath, "Can I ask you something?"

Haley met his eyes, offering him a small smile. "Of course," She told him.

He shifted slightly in his seat, rubbing the back of his neck. "So..." He trailed off, gripping the steering wheel tightly. He looked at her again. "I'm thinking about possibly going back to school," He began, clearing his throat and sighing softly. "What do you think?"

Haley raised her eyebrows at his words, her smile growing. She'd be lying if she said they didn't make her heart race. Maybe a little because she loved school, but mostly because this was Nathan's attempt at moving on with his life, trying to put the pieces back together.

"I think that's a great idea," Haley told him quickly, nodding her head. "And I happen to know a great tutor."

"Sound a little confident there, Miss James," He responded, smirking slightly.

She laughed, pushing open her door, reaching into the back and lifting up her suitcase. "I'm very confident," She informed him.

"Yeah, yeah," He laughed, letting out a deep breath. "So, I'll call you tomorrow? It's probably better that you don't come unless I call you."

"Of course," She said, leaning over and pressing a gentle kiss to his cheek, "I know it might be a little awkward, but if you need anything-"

"I know," He responded, sending her a small smile. "If I invite Clay over, don't get offended because it's nothing against you, Hales... I just don't know how I'll be."

"Of course, I understand," She said, touching his bicep lightly. "I'll talk to you tomorrow, Nathan..."

Nathan nodded his head, leaning back against his seat. "Talk to you tomorrow," He repeated back to her.

Haley offered him what looked almost to be a sad smile, before getting out of the car slowly, waving at him, slamming the door shut.

He waited until she was inside the house before he left, his brain running a million miles an hour.

This was definitely a first for him. Even in high school, when he was dating Peyton, it seemed like all it after they broke up the majority of the time were sweet words and apologies for her to take him back. Until that stopped working, and he just gave up.

When he arrived back at home, he let out a slow, deep breath. This wasn't a huge shock by any means, their relationship had felt a little rocky as they got closer to going to California anyways, but he had not expected it to crash and burn after one week there.

There were a lot of events that lead up to their little break their going on, but he figured that the one that set her off the most was the way he behaved last week.

And he didn't quite blame her for that. Hell, he was happy that she didn't just drop their relationship and proceed like it never happened.

He sighed again, eyeing the book that was laying on the couch, shaking his head.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," He grumbled to himself, sitting down on the couch, snatching up the book and opening it up, beginning to read.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

"I kid you not, Nathan, this boy stood up, and stormed out of the room, tipping his chair over in the process when I put his grade on his desk! He didn't do very well on the paper, because he wrote two pages when it was supposed to be four to six pages, Nathan. Two does not equal four to six," Haley groaned into the phone, walking into her house and slamming the door behind her. "I've had so much trouble with this kid the whole year. Skipping class, talking back... It's exhausting. He's barely passing my class, and if he gets one more grade like this, he's going to have to repeat his junior year. Or make this class up in summer school, at least. It's ridiculous! He's a smart kid, he just needs to put forth the effort. I think the only reason he's passing is because he copies other people's assignments, but he does alright on the tests. Apparently he felt like the essay I gave him was a waste of time. I'm going to tell his parents he should go to summer school anyways, because a C minus is the lowest possible grade you can get without having to retake it. The year is pretty close to over, so he either needs to fix his shit, or he's not going to pass."

Nathan chuckled quietly as he listened to her ramble on. She'd called him as soon as she'd been in her car, and just about everything she'd just told him had been said five minutes prior.

"I'm sorry to hear it, Hales... But if he's smart, he'll figure out a way to pass, right?" He said, shrugging his shoulders and pushing his hand through his hair.

"I don't know, but he better have a positive attitude in summer school. I'll lay down the hammer. Every time I try to do that though, he just mocks me and I don't know what to say! It's not like I'm that much older than him, I feel a little awkward teaching in my old high school for that reason. I feel like I'm still walking the halls, preparing to go to class." She groaned, dropping her car keys and purse on the countertop, letting out an annoyed sigh. "I just don't know what to do. It seems like the rest of the class understands when I'm fed up, but he just keeps going."

"Well, you're almost done, right?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows and clearing his throat.

"I have like a month an a half left. Not close enough. And then I have summer school for the first four weeks," She sighed, pushing her hand through her hair, pulling her shoes off her feet, walking into her bedroom, neatly placing them in the closet.

"I'm sorry, Hales," He commented, letting out a deep breath. "I wish there was something I could do to help."

"Yeah, I know, I wish you could do something too," She laughed, biting her lip lightly, taking a seat on the edge of her bed. "How's the book going?"

Nathan smiled slightly at her words. It had been three weeks since they'd decided to take their... Break? Whatever they were calling it, he wasn't exactly sure. It had also been three weeks since he'd seen her in person. Since he'd heard her beautiful laugh, held her close to him, felt her presence. And it was horrible.

He'd suffered silently, though. Keeping it to himself, since he didn't want to upset her in any way. He'd had good days and bad. Some days he'd find himself drunk, and not getting out of bed for literally anything, dodging her phone calls to him until she stopped calling, but the majority of the time... Talking to her was the best part of his day. So he kept his head on straight the best he could, and focused on trying to do what she asked him to do; reflect.

Keeping true to her word about making sure to put some distance between them, they didn't talk every day though. It was almost torture on the days where they didn't. He'd find himself aimlessly scrolling through the pictures they'd taken together. Somehow, he found himself falling more in love with her, even with the distance. He admired her strength, and her knowledge of her self worth. He admired that she recognized she wasn't being the person she wanted to be. He admired that she recognized that he wasn't the person that she wanted him to be either. Maybe it was a little frustrating at times. He'd been a certain way for a couple of years, and old habits die hard. But she deserved better than what he was giving her. It was either try harder, or lose her. And he definitely wasn't ready to lose her.

"Nathan? You've been quiet for about two minutes," Haley informed him, chuckling quietly. "Are you there?"

"Yeah, yeah... Sorry. What was your question?" He asked her sheepishly, letting out a deep breath.

"I asked you how the book was going," She said, humming quietly.

Right. That damn book. He'd picked it up for her, and while Lucas had a special way with words, the story made him sick to his stomach. He very quickly figured out who he was, which made him feel even worse. He'd had to take a few breaks while reading the things that he'd done to his own brother.

He had to admit though, Lucas told a horrible story in a beautiful way. He'd avoided reading the book because he thought it was wrong for Lucas to write a book about it. But the words he chose to use were appropriate and told the story of his life in an amazing way.

"Nathan, are you there?" Haley asked him again, shaking her head, brushing her fingers through her hair.

"Yeah, sorry," He chuckled, sighing softly. "Just thinking about it. The book is fine, yeah. I'm pretty close to finishing it," He said, shifting slightly, glancing over at the book that was lying on his coffee table.

"That's good," She commented, smiling slightly at his words. "Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm a little tired," He told her, rubbing his neck. "I wish that you were here."

"Nathan..." She trailed off, sighing softly into the phone.

"I know," He responded, shrugging his shoulders. "I'm sorry you had a bad day, Hales."

"What have you done today?" She asked him, standing up slowly, walking out of her bedroom.

"I talked to my Uncle Cooper a little bit," He informed her, clearing his throat. "I'm thinking of visiting him, in North Carolina."

"Oh?" She asked him, biting her lip and raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah, I haven't seen him in a long time," Nathan said, letting out a deep breath. "You can come if you want."

"When are you going to see him?" She asked, sitting down at the island in her kitchen.

"Probably next week or something. He doesn't race anymore, but he's been helping out an old friend work on some of his cars, and asked if I wanted to come down and help him out," Nathan told her, leaning back against the couch.

"Well, you let me know when you're coming, and I'll let you know if that works for me," Haley said softly, biting down on her lip nervously.

"You don't have to," He said, clearing his throat.

Haley inwardly rolled her eyes at his comment, shaking her head even though he couldn't see her.

"Nathan, I told you that I still want to spend time with you," She said to him, sighing softly. "I mean, it's going to be different, of course, but I don't want you out of my life."

"Are you sure?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows, pushing his hand through his hair. "Coop doesn't always know when to keep his mouth shut."

"Well, good thing I can smack him around if he steps out of line then," Haley laughed, smiling into the phone. "I'll come with you, Nathan."

"Awesome, I'll let you know," He said, smiling and closing his eyes. "I talked to Quinn today."

"Really?" She asked him in a questioning tone, laughing. "My Quinn?"

"Clay wasn't home, and I went over there, and I sat and talked to her for a little while," Nathan said, smiling slightly. "She's um, an odd person."

"Tell me about it," Haley agreed, tapping her fingers on the countertop.

"She said something about coming to stay with you soon, says she can't handle living with Clay when I'm in town," Nathan joked, laughing quietly.

"Yeah, she said something like that to me too. I'm excited though, Brooke has hardly been back to Tree Hill, too busy hooking up with your brother or something like that," Haley laughed, rolling her eyes. "Besides her, I pretty much interact with high school students and my old teachers in Tree Hill, so I could use Quinn here for a few days."

"Take her, then Clay can stay at my place again," He responded, smiling slightly.

"It's a win-win," She hummed out, standing up once again, letting out a deep breath. "I have to go, Nathan. I have some things to grade, and some laundry to start. I'll talk to you later though."

"Alright," He said in response, "Talk to you later, Hales. I'll let you know about me going to visit my Uncle Cooper."

"Awesome, bye Nathan," She said, biting her lip.

"Bye baby," He let out, smirking slightly and hanging up the phone before she could respond. So maybe he'd throw in a few pet names for her here and there, she could survive.

Haley shook her head, setting her phone down on the counter too, brushing her hair up into messy bun, walking back into her bedroom to change clothes and get started on the work load she had to do.

xxxx

Haley looked up as she pulled into the parking lot of a stadium, raising her eyebrows and glancing over at Nathan, who was looking around the parking lot to see if he could spot his uncle.

When Nathan told her where they were going a few days prior, she decided to drive after realizing it was only a two hour drive from Tree Hill. He came in the middle of the week, so she had someone cover the last half of her classes for the day so she could pick him up from the airport and come visit his Uncle Cooper with him, and drive back the same night for her classes the next day.

Honestly, she was relieved he'd come in the middle of the week as not on the weekend, because as much as she wanted to stick to her words, he was a temptation. She'd just about melted into him when she saw him in the airport, fortunately looking quite a bit better than he had when she'd seen him last. He'd shaved, gotten a haircut, he just looked healthier for the most part. His eyes weren't quite a bright as they had been, and he still looked tired, but he looked like he'd been doing better, which proved her point that the separation was a good decision.

"Well, I'm sure this is where he wants us to meet him," Nathan chuckled, climbing out of the car, walking around and pulling her door open. "Thanks for coming with me, Haley."

"Sure," She said, smiling up at him and nodding her head. She pushed her hands into her pockets casually, to avoid reaching for his hand. It was almost an instinct, one that she was going to fight for the time being.

Nathan looked towards the stadium, clearing his throat. "I'm guessing one of these cars is his, because there's only three others besides yours. Surprisingly."

"Can we just... Go in?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"I think so," He chuckled, nodding his head and beginning to head inside, glancing over his shoulder at her. "I was kinda hoping he'd be waiting for us."

Haley offered him a small smile, biting her lip lightly as he turned away. There was definitely some awkward tension between them, but it was still nice to see him in person.

Nathan walked inside the stadium, being met with a car racing around the track in front of them. He sighed softly, shaking his head. "I actually don't know my way around here," He informed her, rolling his eyes. "I've only been here once when I was like eight."

She nodded in response, looking around and raising her eyebrows. "So what exactly are we looking for?"

"Well, he's working on some cars," Nathan said, shrugging his shoulders and looking around. "He left the gates open on purpose for us to just walk in, I'm sure..."

"Hey, Nathan!"

Nathan looked in the direction her heard his name called, spotting his uncle quickly, who was waving him over.

"There," Nathan chuckled, smiling over at her. "Thanks again for coming, Haley..." He said quietly, glancing over at her.

Haley rested her hand on his shoulder, nodding her head, "I wouldn't miss it, Nathan. Let's go," She laughed, beginning to head in the direction of his uncle.

Nathan quickly rushed forward when they arrived, pulling Cooper into a right hug, a grin forming on his face.

"There's my favorite nephew," Cooper laughed, patting his back, glancing over at Haley. "And he brought a beautiful lady with him, nice work, Nate."

Haley smiled slightly, offering him a small wave, before crossing her arms. "Hi," She greeted him.

Nathan turned around, keeping his arm around Cooper's shoulder. "Haley, this is my Uncle Cooper. Cooper, this is Haley," He informed them, nodding his head.

"Nice to meet you, Haley," Cooper said, shaking her hand quickly.

"You too," Haley agreed, sending him a small smile.

She definitely saw some resemblance between the two. Nathan seemed to light up when he saw him, which made her heart swell a little bit. He wasn't joking when he said that Cooper was his hero. It was nice to see that he did have some family that he cared about deeply, someone that he could count on besides Lucas.

"How have you been, Nate? How's your back holding up?" Cooper asked him, smacking his back lightly.

"Like steel, Coop," Nathan said, grinning at him and rolling his eyes. "What about you, old man?"

"Like a toothpick. It's horrible getting old," Cooper laughed, shaking his head. "We're working on Ray's car. You remember Ray, right?"

"Yeah," Nathan said, nodding his head and looking over at Haley. "Ray was Cooper's biggest competition," He informed her, clearing his throat.

"I could never quite beat him if he was racing in the same race I was. I was getting close, until I quit," Cooper said, punching Nathan in the shoulder.

"Why'd you quit?" Haley asked him curiously, raising her eyebrows.

"My idiot of a nephew crashed a race car," Cooper said, messing up Nathan's hair.

"Oh," Haley commented, letting out a small sigh and glancing at Nathan. She still hated the thought of Nathan purposely crashing the car, and she was positive the sickly feeling would never pass whenever she thought about it.

Nathan sent Haley a sheepish smile, shrugging his shoulders and shaking his head. "I said I was sorry," He said, looking over at his Uncle.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's get going," Cooper said, looking over at Haley. "You want to drive one?"

"I'll pass," Haley laughed, shaking her head and stepping up to Nathan's side, resting her hand delicately on his shoulder blade, smiling at Cooper. "I'm really just here to help."

"We'll need it," Cooper said, sending her a grin. "Let me show you to the cars."

"Multiple?" Nathan sighed, shaking his head. "You should've called Lucas, Coop, I hate working on cars."

"You'll be fine," Cooper laughed, guiding him over to the race car that he'd been working on.

"So, is that Ray in the car out there?" Nathan asked, raising his eyebrows.

"No, Ray went to go grab me a drink," Cooper said, nodding at him. "That's Daytona."

"Why do you say that like I'm supposed to know who that is?" Nathan asked him, chuckling quietly and looking down at the car.

"You know who it is," Cooper said, picking up his tools. "You'll recognize her."

Haley looked up at Nathan's confused expression, before looking over when the car stopped near the entrance of the tunnel type place they were in.

Nathan looked over, glancing down at Haley. "I have no idea who Daytona is," He whispered to her, shrugging his shoulders.

"Would you stop, Nate? I told you you'll recognize her, give her a second," Cooper laughed, shaking his head. "Nice run, could you have gone a little faster though?" He called, looking over his shoulder.

"Kiss my ass, Cooper," The girl announced, pulling her helmet over her head, holding between her arm and hip.

"Toni," Nathan recognized her, nodding his head. "I forgot her full name was Daytona," He chuckled, shaking his head and looking over at Cooper.

Haley's breath hitched in her throat at the beautiful girl that pulled her helmet over her head, looking like a supermodel or something. She sincerely hoped she was not just about to run into another one of Nathan's old flames.

"Nathan!" Toni said, rushing forward and smiling at him. She pulled him into a very brief hug, looking up at him. "It's been a long time!"

"Yeah," Nathan agreed, smiling at her and nodding her head. "Eight years I think?"

"Let's see... You were sixteen and crashing a race car," Toni laughed, pushing on his chest lightly. "How's your knee?"

"Works like magic," Nathan commented, nodding at her. He quickly wrapped his arm around Haley's shoulders, bringing her forward. "This is my girlfriend, Haley. Hales, this is Toni Green. I hung out with her and her little brother pretty much every time I saw Cooper. They were always with their dad, who was always with him."

Haley looked between them, smiling slightly and looking over at her and nodding, "It's great to meet you," She commented.

She felt much better that she wasn't just cast to the side quickly. After watching the two of them interact, she felt better. There was no flirting, they just seemed like two old friends, which calmed her nerves quite a bit.

"You too," Toni responded, smiling at Nathan. "How have you been, Nathan?"

"Oh, you know. I've been doing alright. Definitely been worse than I am now," He said, smiling down at Haley, squeezing her shoulder lightly before dropping his arm.

"How's Lucas?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Still makes stupid metaphors that no one understands or cares about," Nathan joked, rolling his eyes.

"I liked Lucas," Toni said, shaking her head. "He's smart, and nice. Opposite of you."

"Ouch," Nathan laughed, shaking his head, and looking down at Haley. "Are you going to defend my honor?"

Haley smiled at him, shrugging her shoulders, "Seems like she's known you longer than I have," She hummed, winking at him.

"I like her. Anyone that can make fun of you must be great," Toni laughed, punching Nathan in the shoulder.

"Hey, I'm really glad I invited my nephew here to come help me so all of you could sit there and talk," Cooper laughed, raising his eyebrows and looking over at them. "Maybe Toni better help me while Nathan sits and watches, since he doesn't know how to do anything."

"Three on one, I see how it is," Nathan grumbled, walking over to Cooper, looking down into the car.

Haley smiled as she watched Nathan walk over to the car. He looked so comfortable standing next to his uncle, despite the fact that he didn't seem to know much about cars.

"Nice to meet you," Toni hummed, looking over at her, nodding her head.

"Yeah, you too," Haley said, nodding at her, letting out a deep breath.

"He's nice, isn't he?" Toni said, nodding her head. "He tries to act like a jerk, but he's actually really nice."

Haley nodded her head, laughing quietly. "He's definitely something else, that's for sure..." She agreed, smiling at Nathan.

"You two, stop talking and come watch. That way you can work on the next car," Cooper laughed, gesturing them over.

xxxx

"So, can I take it for a spin?" Nathan asked, smoothing his hand over the hood, raising his eyebrow and smirking slightly.

"Nathan," Haley said, grabbing onto his arm and shaking her head.

"Not likely," Cooper laughed, shrugging his shoulders. "Depends on what you'll do for it."

"Come on, I just have to sit here and watch Toni and Ray?" He asked, crossing his arms.

"Yeah, you do," Cooper laughed, ruffling Nathan's hair, sitting down in the seats, shaking his head.

"What's Jarret been up to?" Nathan asked him, raising his eyebrows.

"School," Cooper said, nodding his head and looking out at the track, shaking his head. "Ray is a little disappointed he didn't get into the whole racing thing like Toni did, but he's doing well."

Nathan smiled, leaning forward, resting his elbows on his knees, nodding his head.

"So, Haley..." Cooper said, smiling over at her. "What is it?"

"What do you mean?" Haley asked him, laughing and raising her eyebrows.

"I mean..." Cooper gestured over at Nathan. "It's obviously not for his looks or personality, so what is it?"

"Coop," Nathan groaned, shaking his head, pushing his hands through his hair. "Knock it off."

Haley laughed, resting her hand on Nathan's back for a brief moment, "Well..." She trailed off, shrugging her shoulders. "He's tall, so he can reach the top shelf."

"Now I get it," Cooper laughed, looking down at Nathan. "I'm just kidding, obviously."

"Yeah, whatever, Cooper," Nathan chuckled, smiling at him and shaking his head. "This place is cool, man."

"Yeah, it feels good to be back. I took one of the cars for a spin a little earlier, and it was nice. I miss it every once and awhile," Cooper informed him, slapping Nathan on the back. "Looks like we both have up our dreams, and it was your fault both times."

Haley inwardly cringed at his words, wanting to smack Cooper across the mouth for saying them. But when he eyes met Nathan's face, he was laughing.

"Why don't we just go ahead and blame Dan Scott instead of me?" He suggested, raising his eyebrows.

Cooper nodded at him, holding up the bottle in his hand, "I'll drink to that," He responded, leaning back in his chair. "Hope he's enjoying his spot in hell."

Haley's eyes went wide at the conversation. It was odd seeing Nathan speak about his life, and not freak out when someone else brought up something he usually got so defensive over.

Nathan nodded his head, and watched as the two cars went around the track, glancing at his watch. "This was great, Coop," He commented, looking over at him.

"Yeah, it's good seeing you getting back on your feet. Both literally, and figuratively, since the last time I saw you, you were in a wheel chair," Cooper said, offering him a small smile. "You look strong, keeping in shape, I see."

"Gives me something to do," Nathan chuckled, leaning back, casually placing his arm around the back of Haley's chair.

"Well, if you ever get bored I'm sure I could always use a hand doing something around my place. The New York lifestyle can't be that great," Cooper said, nodding at him.

"Oh, you know... I've always had a city state of mind," Nathan said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Sure, sure," Cooper said, nodding his head. "What about you, Haley? You live in Tree Hill, right?"

"Yeah," Haley responded, leaning forward and looking over at him. "Born and raised. Went out to California for school, but found my way back home."

"Where'd you go to school?" Cooper asked, raising her, raising his eyebrows.

"I went to Stanford," Haley said, smiling and nodding her head. "I loved it."

"Okay, well... Obviously that's not how you two met, because Nathan hates going back home," Cooper said, looking between them. "So what's the story?"

Nathan chuckled quietly, looking at her. "It's a little weird, actually..." He trailed off, shrugging. "I'll tell you about it later, though."

Haley smiled at Nathan, grabbing onto his wrist and looking at the time on his watch, biting her lip.

She thought his interactions with Lucas were sweet, but nothing compared to Cooper. He was so happy to be around him. His whole face lit up while talking to his Uncle. When Cooper teased him, he laughed like it was the funniest thing he'd ever experienced. He was so genuine and so full of life and joy. She felt a little special, that he'd trusted her enough to let her experience that bond. Because she suspected that whether she had come or not, he would've had a great time bonding with Cooper, yet he'd wanted her to be there to experience it.

"Do you have to go?" Nathan asked her, raising his eyebrows and looking over at her.

"No, no... Not yet," She responded, offering him a small smile. "So, what do you do now, Cooper?"

"Male model," Cooper said, nodding over at her. "Pays the bills."

"Oh, that's great..." She trailed off, clearing her throat.

"He's joking, Haley," Nathan laughed, rolling his eyes. "He couldn't be a model, anyways."

"Shut your mouth, Nate," Cooper said, shaking his head and grinning. "No, I do an entrepreneur type thing, it's a little boring. Nothing compared to this, of course."

"This looks exciting," Haley hummed, gesturing around.

"It is pretty great," Cooper chuckled, leaning back. "But, those days are definitely behind me."

"Thinking of settling down?" Nathan asked, raising his eyebrows and smirking slightly.

"Yeah, maybe..." Cooper laughed, looking over at him. "I can just run wild my whole life."

"I never thought the day would come," Nathan teased him, shaking his head. "Anyone in mind?"

"I've been seeing this girl, for a couple of months, so I don't know what will happen there," Cooper said, shrugging his shoulders slightly.

"When can I meet her?" Nathan asked, raising his eyebrows and glancing over at Haley.

"You can't," Cooper said, shaking his head. "You'll embarrass me too much."

"I give you one free embarrassing story. Have at it," Nathan said, leaning back and gesturing to Haley. "But only if I get to meet her."

"Let him meet her, I want to hear something," Haley laughed, smiling over at Cooper.

"Nathan's never done anything embarrassing. The kid is slick," Cooper said, nodding at her, giving Nathan a thumbs up.

"Oh come on, Coop. Just tell her something," Nathan said, chuckling quietly. "She knows how embarrassing I am."

"You really want to meet her?" Cooper asked him, looking at his nephews expectant face.

"Yeah, man," Nathan said, shrugging his shoulders and leaning back, nodding his head.

Cooper nodded slowly, looking over at Haley. "When Nathan was five, I was still a teenager at home," He said, smiling over at Nathan. "They came to visit us, and my friends were over..."

"This one isn't so bad," Nathan said, shaking his head. "I'm a little disappointed you couldn't come up with something better."

"Quiet, I'm talking," Cooper shushed him, smacking his leg. "Anyways, I had some friends over, and little Nathan quickly took a liking to a group of girls, as he naturally does," He joked, nodding over at Nathan.

"Sounds about right..." Haley trailed off, smiling at Nathan, leaning forward and looking over at Cooper.

"They just couldn't resist his nice, long eyelashes," Cooper chuckled, grinning at her. "They put mascara on him, and then they just had to do the rest of his face."

"Oh, I bet he looked so cute," Haley said, smiling brightly and looking over at Nathan. "You do have long eyelashes."

"It's not even that bad," Nathan laughed, shrugging his shoulders. "I'm sure there are worse stories out there."

"Deb thought it was funny, Dan, not so much," Cooper said, slinging his arm around Nathan's shoulder, smiling at him.

Nathan nodded his head, "He was such an ass," He said, sighing softly and leaning back.

Haley looked over at him, biting her lip lightly. She felt a pang in her heart at his words. She'd thought it had been hard growing up in her house with seven kids.

"I remember when we found out your mom was pregnant, I was ready to fight your dad. I wasn't too old at the time," Cooper chuckled, shaking his head. "He didn't deserve her. He ruined her."

Nathan cleared his throat, looking down at his feet and nodding his head. "And some other shit thrown in there, but pretty much." He commented, shifting slightly and glancing towards Haley.

"Sorry," Cooper said, clearing his throat and shaking his head. "I didn't mean to start this conversation, let's change it before I get too heated," He said quickly, leaning back and letting out a deep breath.

"So how long have you known Ray?" Haley asked him, offering him a small smile.

"Since my early racing days," Cooper said, shaking his head. "He'll go around the track for hours. Same with Toni. She's a spitfire, they race each other all the time."

"Toni is crazy," Nathan chuckled, rolling his eyes. "It's nice seeing her. It's cool that she's still doing what she loves."

"Yeah, and what do you love, Nate? Gotta move on sometime," Cooper said, shaking his head and crossing his arms.

Nathan looked over at Haley, sending her a teasing eye roll at his Uncle's words. "I'm working on it," He laughed, crossing his arms.

"Work harder, dude. You're going to run out of your parents money eventually. I don't want you showing up on my doorstep," Cooper joked, grinning at him.

"You'd love it, Cooper," Nathan chuckled, leaning back, pushing his hand through his hair.

"Still the seven year old I could never shake," Cooper joked, smirking at him.

"Back off," Nathan said, resting his arm on the back of Haley's chair once again.

Haley smiled at him, resting her hand on his leg for a brief moment, leaning back into his arm. She'd missed this side of him. It seemed like he'd hardly stopped smiling since they'd started talking to Cooper. Her heart melted at how much he loved his uncle.

"I don't blame you, I'm pretty cool." Cooper laughed, nodding at him. "I'm just kidding, Nate. I never wanted to shake you."

"Hurts my feelings when you say that. You were my hero," Nathan joked, shaking his head and fake pouting.

"I still am your hero," Cooper said, ruffling his hair, letting out a deep breath.

Haley glanced at the time on Nathan's watch again, before looking up at the darkening sky. She bit her lip lightly, standing up and letting out a deep breath. "I think I better go."

Cooper stood up quickly, smiling at her. "Sad to see you go. It was great meeting you, Haley."

"You too, Cooper," Haley said, smiling and nodding her head.

Cooper pulled her into a quick hug, before taking a step away, nodding at her. "I'll take care of Nathan while you're away."

Nathan stood up, shaking his head and rolling his eyes. "I don't need you to take care of me," He chuckled, shrugging his shoulders.

Haley laughed, nodding at him. "Thank you. Tell Toni and Ray that it was nice meeting them too. Don't let Nathan on the track either."

"Come on," Nathan groaned, laughing quietly. "I'm a grown man, I can drive a race car if I want to."

"No you can't," Cooper laughed, shaking his head. "Alright, well I'll see you later, Haley."

"Yep," Haley said, smiling and looking at Nathan, letting out a deep breath.

Nathan rested his hand on her shoulder, nodding his head. "I'll be right back, Cooper," He said, following Haley as she started walking away.

Haley looked over her shoulder at Nathan, offering him a small smile. "I like him, he's really nice," She said, nodding at him.

"I'm glad," Nathan said, clearing his throat, looking down at her and letting out a deep breath. "Thanks for coming, Haley."

"I'm glad I did," Haley commented, biting her lip lightly.

He smiled at her, shoving his hands into his pockets, looking at ahead of them. "I'm surprised he didn't try and embarrass the hell out of me."

She laughed, looking at him and shaking her head. "He's trying to keep you looking cool. Too bad I already know you're not that cool," She teased him.

"Okay, ouch," He laughed, rolling his eyes. "I'm cool, and you know it."

"You're alright," She hummed, glancing over at him once again. "Are you doing okay?"

"I'm good," Nathan said, nodding his head, letting out a deep breath. "I just feel comfortable around him, I don't know. I can say things and hear things I wouldn't normally want to."

"That's good, Nathan," She said, resting her hand on his arm briefly. "I'm glad you have him."

"Yeah..." He trailed off, looking down at her. "We didn't talk much on the drive over, sorry about that," He said softly.

"No, it's okay, I didn't say much either," She responded, sighing softly.

"How's school going?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows. "Need me to come talk some sense into your troublemaker?"

"No, I can handle it," Haley laughed, shaking her head. "He's still being a little shit," She said, rolling her eyes.

"Don't let him disrespect you, Haley," He said, shaking his head quickly.

"I've dealt with this the whole year pretty much, it just seems like he's gotten worse at the end of the year," She grumbled, letting out a deep breath. "I'll figure it out."

He looked over at her, holding the door as they walked out of the stadium, sighing softly. "Well, if you need me to come sit in and snap at him when he acts like an ass, let me know."

"I won't, but I appreciate the offer," She said, smiling at him, looking towards her car and letting out a deep breath.

"I'm really glad you decided to come with me, Haley... I've missed you," He said softly, rubbing his neck lightly.

"Yeah, me too. Phone calls just aren't the same," She responded, glancing in his direction. "You seem like you're doing better."

"Good days and bad," He said, crossing his arms, stepping up to her car. "I pretty much tell you most of it on the phone, so we don't need to really get into it."

"Why don't you play basketball?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows and glancing over at him.

"I woke up with some back pain, and I guess it freaked me out a little bit," Nathan said quietly, shaking his head.

"You didn't tell me that," Haley said, looking over in his direction quickly. "Was this in California?"

"Yeah," He said, shrugging his shoulders. "I'm supposed to take pills if it ever hurts, but I don't like taking them very often because of my mom... So I just decided to forget about it," He said, tapping his hand on the roof of her car lightly.

Haley frowned at him, letting out a deep breath, "I wish you would've told me..." She trailed off, shaking her head.

"What, and make you compromise your beliefs even more? You would've made me take the pills, and then you'd be even more like my babysitter," He said, sighing softly and looking at her, shaking his head.

"Nathan, your health is important to me. Whether we're in this weird phase or not, you still matter to me, alright?" Haley said, shaking her head. "I feel like you don't understand that, and I want you to."

"I get it, Haley, I do. But this was weeks ago, it doesn't matter anymore," He said, shrugging his shoulders.

"It does," She said, resting her hand on his arm, sighing softly. "Be careful, Nathan."

Nathan smiled at her, hesitantly tucking her hair behind her ear. "I am, Hales..." He trailed off, looking down at her.

Haley nodded up at him, sending him a small smile, letting out a deep breath. "Okay." She responded, squeezing her eyes shut for a second. "I like Toni a lot," She commented, clearing her throat.

"Yeah, she was a pretty good friend when I was younger," He said, smiling at her. "There was never anything between us, just so you know... She's always just been a friend."

"I can tell, but I appreciate the confirmation," Haley said, resting her hand on the door handle, looking up at him and smiling. "She seems like a lot of fun."

"You should've let her take you out in her car," He chuckled, nodding at her. "She's great."

"Maybe one day. Probably not, but you never know," She laughed, squeezing his arm lightly. "I'll call you when I get home, okay?"

"Haley, wait..." He trailed off, his hands coming up to cup her cheeks lightly, leaning forward, brushing his thumb over her cheekbone, meeting her eyes.

Haley looked up at him, biting down on her lip lightly. There was the temptation again. She had a certain need inside of her that only Nathan has ever filled. She had to force herself to turn her head away when he got closer to her.

"Nathan..." She whispered, shaking her head slowly. "I'm sorry..."

Nathan looked down at her, nodding his head and pressing a brief kiss to her forehead. "I just couldn't resist trying," He said, sending her a small smile. "I'll talk to you later, Haley."

"I'm sorry, Nathan," She said quickly, looking at him and grabbing onto his arm. "I just don't think it would be good for us right now."

"I just had to try, Hales. Don't worry about it, I didn't think you'd let me kiss you," He said, winking at her. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a tight hug. "Make sure you let me know when you get back to your apartment safely. I'm serious," He said, grabbing onto the door handle, pulling it open. "And if you need to call me while you're driving, don't hesitate."

"I won't, thank you," She said, getting into her car slowly, staring up at him. "Hey, Nathan?"

"Yeah?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows and looking down at her.

"You should come visit your Uncle Cooper more. Happiness looks really good on you," Haley commented, smiling up at him.

"Thank you," He said, smiling back at her, shutting her door quickly, and taking a step away.

Haley waved at him, starting her car up and driving away from him, letting out a deep breath.

She wanted to whip the car around and turn back and kiss him quickly. She wanted him to act this happy and carefree around her. She wanted him to be the man that he wanted to be. Most importantly though, she just wanted him.

Haley could already tell that the separation was good though. For her, and for him. She felt a little less stressed and worried all the time, and he seemed like he was screwing his head on straight and really trying to clean up his act. So despite the want and the need, they needed to continue on with this path, because she felt the difference, and she hoped that he could feel it too.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

Haley laughed at the story Quinn was telling, shaking her head and rolling her eyes. "I feel like I need to experience the two of them together, like really experience it."

"I know!" Quinn laughed, shaking her head. "And then, Clay says, 'Uh, is it okay if I invite Nathan over?' And I'm like Clay, we just had sex and you're thinking about your best friend?"

"He didn't ask you that," Haley said, shaking her head quickly. "There's no way."

"He did! I mean, at least he waited until we were finished. I swear, I think he likes taking care of Nathan," Quinn said, rolling her eyes. "It doesn't happen very often, but he really cares about the guy."

"At least you know he'll be a good dad?" Haley offered, shrugging her shoulders, taking a bite of her pizza.

"Did you really just refer to my husband as your boyfriend's dad? Haley!" Quinn groaned, leaning back against the couch. "That's horrible."

"I didn't mean it like that," Haley said, waving her hand. "I just mean he's good at taking care of people."

"Yeah, I'm sure he'll be amazing," Quinn said, smiling at her and nodding her head. "I just have to compete with Nathan for his heart. It's not as bad as it used to be. I used to get really, really annoyed at Nathan."

"Well, your husband and him are practically attached at the hip, from what I've heard," Haley responded, crossing her legs.

"You know how we postponed our wedding a few weeks? Yeah, all Nathan," Quinn said, rolling her eyes. "I'm still holding a little grudge."

"Are you serious?" Haley asked her, frowning slightly. "I didn't know that."

"I was so pissed at Clay too. I tried to be understanding, but no one would tell me the whole story, and I knew Nathan had some issues, but part of me thought he wasn't ready to leave his friends and be tied down by marriage," Quinn said, shaking her head and sighing. "Little did I know, I practically married three guys, instead of just the one. If it's not Nathan, it's Chase."

"You're welcome to come here anytime. I know it's a little far, but that's what makes it fun," Haley hummed, smiling at her. "So, what happened with Nathan that made you guys push it back?"

"I don't know exactly, but Clay was really nervous when he told me, so I'm sure it was important. I would have been more understanding if I'd known everything," Quinn said, shaking her head.

"What do you know exactly?" She asked her, raising her eyebrows and looking at her.

"I think he told Clay just to tell me," Quinn said, shaking her head. "About the accident, and about his parents."

"Crazy, isn't it?" Haley sighed, shaking her head, biting her lip.

"It's shocking," Quinn agreed, smiling over at her. "So, spill. I've seen Nathan quite a bit. But I want you to spill everything."

"I don't know, Quinn... It's just complicated," Haley sighed, brushing her fingers through her hair. "I miss him, a lot... I went to see his uncle with him last week, and he just seemed to be doing so well. It just made me miss him even more."

"What do you miss, Hales?" Quinn asked her, raising her eyebrows and looking at her.

"You're going to get me started, and I don't know if I'll ever stop..." Haley laughed in response, rubbing her neck. "I miss the way he could make me laugh, and make my heart race. Even when I was annoyed at him, if he touched me my heart fluttered. You may not see it, but he's so funny."

"He mostly tells Dad-Jokes," Quinn laughed, shaking her head. "And those are never funny."

"But the fact that he thinks he's so funny, that's what makes him funny," Haley told her, smiling brightly. "I don't know what it is about him, Quinn... It seems like the logical part of me is telling me that he isn't my problem. I can just walk away and act like we never happened, because we haven't been together that long."

"And what's the other part saying?" Quinn asked her curiously, smiling at her.

"That he makes me happier than I've ever felt. He was so kind, and caring with me. Even now, he willingly agreed to whatever you want to call what we're doing. I thought maybe he would put up a little bit of a fight, but he didn't. Of course, he didn't seem entirely happy, but he wanted to do this for us," Haley said, letting out a deep breath.

"I knew you were going to go behind my back after I told you not to get involved with him. You can't help it," Quinn chuckled, rolling her eyes. "I remember at my wedding, when you and Nathan were dancing. He was being a dork, spinning you, dipping you, and you were laughing so much. It was nice to hear you laughing again. You and Chris were always fighting."

"It was nice to be laughing again," Haley said, pushing her hand through her hair. "He looked at me like I was some type of gift to him."

"I think you were, Haley," Quinn commented, shrugging her shoulders. "I mean, I know he has his issues, but the Nathan that I knew prior to that was a dumb ass, drunk, man whore."

"He just made me feel good about myself, you know? Well, besides when he was checking out fake red heads..." Haley sighed, shaking her head. "Maybe it wasn't fair for me to fly off the handle on that one, I don't know..."

"It doesn't matter who he was before you, Haley. He was in a committed relationship with you, and he shouldn't have done it. There's no question. Don't doubt yourself," Quinn said, shaking her head quickly, resting her hand on Haley's arm.

"I know. I just hope I didn't ask him to change too much too quickly. I don't want him to he someone he's not..." Haley trailed off, biting her lip and leaning back. "It's hard to stick to my word, because my bed still feels empty without him."

"I'm sorry, Hales..." Quinn said, smiling at her. "I wish that you could just find a guy that's never going to make a mistake and just sweep you off your feet for the rest of your life."

Haley laughed, shaking her head and rolling her eyes. "If only," She joked, looking over at her. "But seriously, I think that it's important to make mistakes in a relationship, and it's important to argue, but I just wish I wouldn't have been so easy on him. I'm worried he'd be like that with me too."

"Just don't dig yourself a hole, Haley... Nathan is great, and he cares about you so much, but be your own person. Don't just be Nathan Scott's girlfriend," Quinn said, shaking her head and wrapping her arm around Haley's shoulders.

"I won't be. I mean, I don't mind being known as Nathan Scott's girlfriend, though I think around her he'd be Haley James' boyfriend, but I want to be more than just that," Haley agreed, sighing softly. "It's just hard sometimes, not being with him."

"I know," Quinn agreed, nodding quickly. "I've been away from Clay for like ten hours and I miss him. I'm sure he's having a great time without me though."

"I doubt it, you phone has been going off the hook," Haley chuckled, rolling her eyes. "I'm sure he misses you."

"Oh, I know he does, but I think he's having a better time without me," Quinn responded, waving her hand.

"Well, it's nice to know that you're not having a good time here," Haley joked, shaking her head and crossing her arms.

"Oh, be quiet. You know I'm having a great time with you, Hales. I missed you," Quinn said, smiling brightly at her.

"I missed you too," Haley said, pushing her hands through her hair, looking over at her.

"Have you talked to Nathan today?" She asked her, raising her eyebrows, nudging her.

Haley sighed, shaking her head. "A little bit, not really though. Mostly just him asking me how my day was," She said, shrugging slightly. "We don't talk every day."

"We don't have to talk about him," Quinn said, shaking her head. "If it's too difficult."

"Oh, it's not difficult," Haley responded, waving her hand in her sister's direction. "He tried to kiss me last week after we visited his uncle, and I made myself stop him."

"Because you'd turn into a puddle if he kissed you and just forgive him," Quinn chuckled, winking at her. "I get it, he's fine as hell and I'm sure he's a great kisser."

"I know it's hard for him, but it's so hard for me too. I just miss him," Haley groaned, rubbing her eyes. She stood up, clearing her plate as well as Quinn's, shaking her head.

"He seems like he's doing well though, Clay mentioned something about school?" Quinn asked her curiously, raising her eyebrows.

"Oh, yeah," Haley said, a grin forming on her face. "I really hope he does go back to school. It would give him something to do, and I could tutor him which I would love to do."

"You sound a little too excited about that," Quinn joked, smirking at her. "I'll tell him that the thought of tutoring him makes you hot and bothered and he'll do it for sure."

"Oh, shut it," Haley laughed, rolling her eyes. "I just think it's a good idea. I'm sure it gets boring sitting around the house all day and drinking."

"He exercises too. A lot," Quinn said, nodding at her and laughing.

"I know, when he's here he goes on super long runs. It's horrifying," Haley joked, shaking her head. "It helps him get his frustration out, I think."

"The fact that he can even do it is impressive. He must have a lot of drive to bounce back from a wheelchair," Quinn commented, shrugging her shoulders. "I think that it's a little inspiring."

"He's so much stronger than he knows, Quinn. That's one of my biggest frustrations with him. He doesn't know how great he is, and it kills me," Haley said, biting down on her lip and letting out a deep breath, sitting back down on the couch.

"Sometimes people have to figure things out on their own, Hales... You can do your best to guide him along, but he's his own person," Quinn informed her, smiling. "Just keep doing what you're doing, Haley. It may be hard, but it's working."

"What has he been doing?" Haley asked, resting her arm across the back of the couch, tucking her legs underneath her.

"Well, to start, I personally feel like he's being less of a selfish jack ass. There's still some selfish jack ass in him, but I don't know if anyone will be able to fix that," Quinn joked, pushing Haley's hand away when she moved to smack her.

"We made the right decision, I know we did. No matter how difficult it gets, we're doing the right thing," Haley confirmed, letting out a deep breath. "I think we'll be alright, though. I don't think we'll end in a break up. I just need to ensure that we won't go right to being the same as before."

"I think you made the right decision too, Haley. It's okay to worry about him, but don't let it change who you are," Quinn said, squeezing her arm. "He wouldn't want that, and you don't deserve that."

"Yeah, I know," She said, letting out a deep breath and looking over at her. "But, let's stop talking about Nathan. I want to spend time with you, not think about my messy relationship," She hummed out, leaning back. "So tell me, it's no rush, but exactly how long are you and Clay waiting to have kids?"

"Oh, hell, Haley... I just know you've been waiting to ask me that question since I got engaged!" Quinn groaned, pushing on Haley's arm.

"Okay, come on... You're gorgeous, and Clay is hot. Your kids would be stunning, and I would be their favorite aunt Haley," Haley responded, laughing and shrugging her shoulders.

"I don't know, we talked about waiting until at least next year to even think about having a kid. It really depends on how our life is moving," Quinn said, brushing her fingers through her hair. "We're kind of dealing with something big right now, so we'll have to see what happens with that."

Haley raised her eyebrows, eyeing her and leaning towards her. "What are you dealing with?"

"Hey, Vivian... Try not to be so nosy," Quinn laughed, pushing her back and shaking her head.

"Okay, I'm sorry. You don't have to tell me, but I'm really good at helping people through their problems," Haley said, poking her arm lightly.

Quinn sighed, looking over at her and shaking her head, "I guess, since this could potentially effect you too, depending on what happens in the future..." She began, shrugging slightly. "You can't tell anyone, okay?"

"I won't tell anyone, but what does it have to do with me?" Haley asked her curiously, biting her lip and raising her eyebrows.

"I said potentially, Haley. I don't know what's going to happen, this is just a big maybe on my part, got it?" Quinn said, laughing and rolling her eyes. "Clay is considering quitting his job, Hales."

Haley blinked at her, frowning slightly and shaking her head. "Why does he want to do that?"

"He's beginning to not like it with the agency he's working for," Quinn informed her, sighing softly. "I don't know if it's a good idea or not, but it seems like every time he comes home he's just in a bad mood and he's not snappy at me or anything, I can just tell he's unhappy, so I think he should do it."

"Well... What is he going to do after that?" Haley asked her, frowning and shaking her head.

"He wants to start his own company," Quinn said, letting out a deep breath. "And that just makes me so nervous, because I know he's talented at what he does, but what if he loses his passion because it's taking awhile to start up?"

"You never lost your passion for photography, and it wasn't always easy for you. But look at you now, Quinn... You're getting paid to travel and do what you love," Haley said, shrugging her shoulders. "I think it's important to love what you do, so if he's not happy, he should find something that makes him happy."

"I agree," Quinn said, letting out a deep breath. "I just want him to be happy, really... And I just feel like he's not right now."

Haley nodded at her, squeezing her arm. "You guys will be okay, you both have savings and stuff like that, and if you need to, you can stay at my house and blow up an air mattress," She joked, nodding at her.

"I don't know if it will come to that, but I'll definitely let you know. If he does quit, I'm going to try and convince him to move here though," Quinn commented, grinning at her. "I miss Tree Hill."

"Ugh, Tree Hill misses you," Haley said quickly, nodding her head. "I'm all for it now, he needs to quit," She joked, smiling at her.

"I thought you might like that," Quinn laughed, leaning back and shrugging her shoulders.

"So... How would this make any difference to me? Besides the fact that you'd maybe move back home..." She asked her curiously, raising her eyebrows and leaning forward.

"This is just a possibility, Haley..." Quinn said, shrugging her shoulders. "Depending on what happens, y'know," She began, clearing her throat. "If Nathan goes back to school, Clay wants him to be his partner."

"What?" Haley asked, raising her eyebrows, looking at her. "Are you serious?"

"I don't know if it's a good idea either, honestly," Quinn said, shaking her head and sighing softly. "I know you said you didn't really want to talk about him right now, but this is me talking about him. I'm just worried he's going to put too much into Nathan and Nathan won't come through."

Haley bit down on her lip, nodding slowly and looking over at the black TV screen, tapping her fingers on her legs.

It bothered her a little bit that Quinn said that, but honestly... It wasn't that far off. She was a little surprised that Nathan didn't tell her something like this. If he knew about it, of course. She was curious to see what happened, because from her experience... Nathan wasn't a big people person anymore.

"Sorry, I didn't mean for that to sound so bitchy," Quinn said quickly, shaking her head and letting out a deep breath. "I know he's your boyfriend, but sometimes I feel like he's a little flaky."

"No, sorry... I'm just thinking. I know," Haley assured her, waving her hand. "Has he told Nathan?"

"Yeah, he told him the same day you brutally dumped him," Quinn joked, resting her hand on Haley's arm.

"Funny. What did he think?" Haley asked her, laughing quietly and shaking her head.

"He said he seemed interested, but a little confused. We'll see what happens," Quinn said, shrugging her shoulders. "As long as Clay is happy, I'll be okay."

"Huh..." Haley trailed off, biting her lip lightly. "He didn't tell me that."

"Maybe he's not actually considering it," Quinn said, shrugging slightly. "But it is supposed to be on the down low, so maybe he's respecting Clay's wishes. Unlike his chatty wife, who apparently is going to tell everyone."

"Oh, shush. You told me, and you know that I won't tell anyone," Haley assured her, smacking her arm and letting out a deep breath. "What would that mean exactly? If they did end up being partners..."

"I don't know, Haley... It really depends," Quinn said, shrugging her shoulders slightly. "Nathan would travel a lot more, he'd be much busier, he'd probably spend more time with Clay than he already does..."

"If we break up, and you two move here, does that mean Nathan would have to move here too?" Haley asked, raising her eyebrows.

"I don't know, moving here is just an idea. But... Maybe? I don't think he'd necessarily have to, but you never know. It depends on Clay, probably..." Quinn said, shrugging her shoulders and looking at her.

"Just trying to be prepared for every situation," Haley said, nodding her head and pushing her hand through her hair. "Not that I think we're going to break up or anything, I'm just curious."

"You can break up with, Haley..." Quinn trailed off, frowning at her and letting out a deep breath.

"I know, Quinn," Haley laughed, rolling her eyes. "People say that to me like I don't know that. But I do, and I don't want to," She said, shrugging her shoulders. "Ugh, we keep going back to Nathan, I'm sorry, I really do think about other things besides him, I swear."

"I don't mind talking about him, Hales. I want to help you," Quinn assured her, grabbing onto her hand and squeezing it lightly.

"I don't feel any obligation to Nathan because he's your husband's best friend, Quinn. I want to be with Nathan because of how much I care about him, and because of how he makes me heart race, okay?" Haley assured her, resting her hand on Quinn's shoulder. "I want to make sure you understand that."

"I do, Haley... I just know you, and you kind of like fixing people... I just want to make sure you aren't hurting yourself in the process, okay?" Quinn said, sending her a small smile and shrugging her shoulders.

Haley laughed, nodding her head and waving my hand, "I'm alright, Quinn... I promise," She assured her once again, smiling. "I really just want to spend time with you, though. Don't you have a big trip coming up?"

"Yes," Quinn said quickly, smiling at the subject change. "It's going to suck though, I'll be away from Clay for three weeks."

"You're heading to Africa, right?" Haley asked, raising her eyebrows and grinning. "I'm so damn jealous."

"It's going to be quite the adventure. I'm so excited though, I think it will make up for being away from my husband for three weeks with limited phone service," Quinn gushed, letting out a deep breath. "I have a little count down going at our house. I'm at twenty four days."

"That's so soon," Haley said, shaking her head quickly. "I'm guessing all your phone calls are going to be directed towards your husband, instead of you dear sweet sister who has stood by you in all your trials and been you friend your whole entire life?"

"Probably, yeah," Quinn responded, grinning at her and shaking her head. "I don't know if I can handle going three weeks without hearing all the gossip on you."

Haley laughed, rolling her eyes and shaking her head. "Never mind, don't call me..." She joked, crossing her arms.

"I definitely won't," Quinn assured her, leaning back and looking over in her direction.

"What's with that look? I know that look..." Haley said, shaking her head and raising her eyebrows. "If it has to do with Nathan, we're skipping it. I don't want to spend my whole night with you talking about him."

"Oh, it doesn't have to do with Nathan..." Quinn trailed off, eyeing her again. "Have you heard from Jake Jagelski lately?"

"Quinn!" Haley groaned, rubbing her hands down her face. "Why does everyone from this town always ask me about him?"

"Just curious..." Quinn hummed, tapping her fingers on her legs and raising her eyebrows.

"I haven't really even tried to talk to him since I started dating Nathan," Haley said, shrugging her shoulders. "Even before that, it's not like he responded to me often anyways."

"I'm sure he'll be heartbroken the day he finally comes back to Tree Hill and discovers that you've moved on," Quinn commented, smirking slightly.

"I swear... I never even liked him like that," Haley sighed, pushing her hand through her hair. "And it doesn't matter anyways, because he left, and he probably won't come back."

"You never had any feelings for him? Not even when you made out during spin the bottle?" Quinn interrogated her, smirking slightly.

"No, I didn't! A guy and a girl can be just friends, Quinn..." Haley informed her sister, shrugging. "I feel like you're trying to find out if he has anything to do with my desire to take a break from Nathan, but I can assure you that he doesn't."

"I'm not, Hales... I'm just genuinely curious," Quinn laughed, biting her lip and shrugging her shoulders. "When's the last time you talked to him?"

"I sent him a very short email last week because he sent me some pictures of his daughter," Haley said, pushing her hand through her hair.

"I guess I have to talk to Brooke if I want all of the juicy details," Quinn hummed, crossing her arms and grinning at her. "Nathan must be fading fast if you're talking to the dream boat again."

"Stop it, Quinn. Nathan is not fading fast, okay? Jake is my friend. I haven't seen him for years, a couple emails is not a scandal," Haley groaned, pushing her hand through her hair.

"Would you relax, Hales? I'm just messing with you. Trust me, I know you didn't have a thing for him," Quinn laughed, rubbing her shoulder.

"I know, but everyone thought I had a huge thing for him, and I still get teased about it to this day. I had a picture of us on my desk, and one of my old teachers was in my class and asked me about him," Haley sighed, rolling her eyes. "He was a good friend, but never anything more."

"Wait a minute, you had a picture of him?" Quinn asked her, raising her eyebrows and nodding her head. "What is it now?"

"Nathan and me," Haley said, shrugging her shoulders. "I don't think it's fair to have a picture of another guy on my desk when I have a boyfriend that I like a lot."

"You had that picture when you and Chris were dating," Quinn commented, raising her eyebrows.

"Nathan and I are so much different than Chris and I were..." Haley said quickly, pushing her hand through her hair. "I'm sorry, I'm going off on a Nathan tangent again."

"No, stop it. Tell me more," Quinn said, crossing her arms and biting her lip.

"Chris was like... I don't even know how to describe it, Quinn... I loved him, I did. But he was just so..."

"Whiny? Arrogant? Annoying? Oh, how about selfish? Rude?" Quinn asked her, raising her eyebrows.

"Free spirited is a better word for it," Haley hummed, shrugging her shoulders. "I had a picture of him on my desk too, you know..."

"You're going to pick free spirited over my words?" Quinn groaned, rolling her eyes. "Haley, the guy was a jerk."

"He wasn't always like that, Quinny..." Haley said, sighing softly. "I don't want to defend him, because our relationship sucked, but he wasn't always so annoying.

"Haley you would call me in a rage almost once a week," Quinn frowned, shaking her head. "Here's my question for you, and don't think I'm defending Nathan by any means, he's a dick. But Chris would blatantly stare at another girl, flirt with other women, dance with them, whatever he felt like... What is so different about Nathan when he has a lapse in time and reverts back to his playboy days? You forgave Chris within hours, and maybe you forgave Nathan a little quick, but now you're making him work for it, which I fully support, but what's the difference?"

Haley thought for a second, looking down and letting out a deep breath. "I expect more from Nathan, I guess. I knew Chris, and I knew what he was like. But with Nathan... It was a shock to see him do something like that. I mean, we're all human, right? We make mistakes, and if I think a guy is hot and I won't feel guilty if the thought passes my mind. I know he'll think that other women are beautiful, and I don't care about that. I just don't want to feel insecure about myself, Quinn... For most of high school, I felt like a bookworm, felt uncomfortable in my own skin..." She trailed off, letting out a deep breath. "It might sound cheesy, but I met this hot, dark haired, flirty boy in California that wanted me, like actually wanted me, and it just made me feel good. And to have that exact same guy look at another girl like that... I just felt insecure again."

Quinn bit down on her lip, nodding slowly and letting out a deep breath. She reached over, taking one of Haley's hands in both of hers, meeting her younger sister's eyes.

"Are you in love with him, Haley?" She asked her, raising her eyebrows.

"I was falling in love with him," Haley admitted, shrugging her shoulders and letting out a sigh. "But I just feel like I hit a wall when we were in California. Maybe I'm still nearing love, but if I'm going to get over the wall, I need him to boost me over."

"I like that," Quinn said, nodding at her. "I think that's a nice little analogy."

"We'll see, though... I just know that even after all of this, I still like him a lot," Haley concluded, biting her lip and squeezing Quinn's hands.

"Poetic. You must be a literature teacher," Quinn said, grinning at her and raising her eyebrows.

"Caught me," Haley laughed, looking over at the TV and letting out a deep breath. "So, feel like watching some movies?"

"Oh, absolutely," Quinn agreed, grabbing the throw blanket off the back of the couch, laying it across her legs, turning her focus to the TV.

xxxx

Haley lifted up her head, rubbing the back of her neck as she felt her phone vibrating beneath her. She glanced over to where Quinn was curled up across the couch from her, looking rather uncomfortable since the two of them had both fallen asleep on the same couch.

She picked up her phone, seeing Nathan's name and picture flash on her screen. She adjusted the blanket on Quinn, hurrying to her room, eyes narrowing in on the time. Nathan calling her at 3:47 in the morning did not seem like a good sign.

She accepted the call, taking a seat on the bed, pushing her hand through her hair. "Hello?"

"I finished the book," Nathan blurted out, letting out a deep breath.

A smile smile formed on Haley's lips at his words, letting out a hum of approval.

"What did you think?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows, smoothing her hand over the comforter beneath her.

"I was right, it sucked ass," He informed her, chuckling quietly.

"Nathan," Haley laughed, tucking her hair behind her ear. "What did you really think?"

"I think that it was interesting to see Luke's perspective on everything that happened." Nathan commented, letting out a deep breath. "I think he was a little bit obsessed with Peyton in high school."

"It's romantic," Haley informed him, laughing quietly and rolling her eyes.

"That's what you call romantic? Damn, Haley... I've been doing it all wrong," He joked, laughing quietly.

"First of all, you don't know me..." She mimicked Peyton talking to Lucas in the book, her grin growing as she heard him start laughing harder.

"You make me smile," He told her, letting out a deep breath. "Really smile."

She bit down on her bottom lip, feeling her heart skip a beat at his words, "I'm glad, Nathan," She informed him, rubbing her neck lightly. "What else did you think about it?"

"I shouldn't, but I liked reading it," He said, nodding slowly. "Interestingly enough, right? It seems a little messed up."

"He really uses beautiful words, Nathan... The story flows so well. He uses his talent to turn something horrible into art," She informed him, letting out a deep breath. "It's brave that he wrote something so raw and personal."

"He's talented, yeah..." Nathan agreed with her, humming softly. "It really blew up, didn't it? A lot of people like it... And it used to make me mad. I couldn't understand how people could enjoy reading such a horrible part of my life."

"And now?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows and laying back against the bed.

"I see it. It's his way of venting, and I resented him for it, but now... I get it and I look back and I see how it helped him cope with some traumatic that happened to him," Nathan nodded his head, letting out a small sigh. "I was an ass to him about it."

"Well, thankfully, he's your brother and he'll probably forgive you," Haley chuckled, biting down on her lip lightly.

"I probably won't apologize," He informed her, shrugging his shoulders. "He didn't even ask me if he could put me in it."

"Nathan!" She scolded him, laughing quietly and shaking her head and rolling her eyes.

"I don't know, Hales, I'll figure it out," He chuckled, letting out a small sigh.

"I'm glad you liked it, Nathan. Or at least read it," She said, nodding her head slowly.

"Yeah... Me too. Thank you, Haley," He said to her, smiling slightly. "And I mean that."

"Of course, Nathan," She responded, glancing over at the clock in her room.

"So..." Nathan began, clearing his throat. "What are you wearing?"

Haley laughed loudly, covering her mouth so she wouldn't wake up Quinn in the other room.

"Goodnight, Nathan..." She groaned, rolling her eyes.

"Goodnight, Hales."


	29. Chapter 29

**Alright, I absolutely adore this chapter. I think it has some humor, and some sweet moments. Thank you for reading!**

 **Chapter 29**

Haley looked over at Nathan, watching as his knees bounced up and down, shifting slightly in his seat. He had a lost in thought type of expression on his face, looking a little nervous as well.

After a moment of hesitation, she reached over, resting her hand on his knee, pushing on his leg lightly.

"Hey," She said, looking at him and offering him a small smile, leaning closer to him.

Nathan's eyes shifted over go her, and he sent her a weak smile, letting out a deep breath. "Hi," He responded, nodding his head. "Thanks for coming with me, Haley..." He trailed off.

"Of course," She responded, squeezing his leg. "Breathe a little, honey... It's going to be alright."

"It's not going to go well," Nathan said quickly, leaning back against his chair and letting out a deep breath.

"You might be surprised," She informed him, leaning back as well, lifting her hand from his knee, linking it through his arm.

He closed his eyes, letting out a slow deep breath in an attempt to calm his racing heart.

He'd decided on when he'd been on the phone with Haley two nights ago that he was going to meet with someone to talk about himself, but on the condition that she came up and went with him.

Immediately after the words left his mouth, he regretted them. He was positive he said it to please Haley, and it had worked, because she was here. But he hated this. He hated was about to come. He was thankful she was sitting next to him, possibly throwing some of her willpower out the window to comfort him.

"You don't have to do this, Nathan... But I think it will help," She said softly, squeezing his bicep and nodding her head slowly.

"We're already here, right?" He said, looking at her and nodding his head. "Haley, I... I might be a little bit more... What's the word I'm thinking of?"

"Cold," Haley said, nodding her head and offering him a small smile.

Nathan looked at her and let out what sounded to be a forced laugh, "Yeah. I might be a little cold when I leave, so please don't take it personally. I'll really try not the snap."

She nodded again, letting out a deep breath and looking up at him. "You might be surprised. It might feel good to talk about it with a professional."

"Yeah, we'll see..." He chuckled, glancing over at her and smiling slightly. "Thanks again, Haley... You make me feel stronger."

"Well I'm here to help you, Nathan," She informed him, squeezing his arm again.

They sat there in silence for a little while, Nathan trying to let Haley's soothing touches calm his nerves.

When Nathan's name was finally called, he stood up slowly and looked down at her. "I'll be back, alright?"

Haley reached forward, grabbing onto his hand and giving it one more squeeze, nodding her head. "I'll be here."

He smiled at her, before heading into the room they'd been waiting in front of, shoving his hands into his pockets.

xxxx

He'd been in there for three hours. When he finally walked out, he looked drained. His hair was messy, probably from running his fingers through it. He was slumped over slightly, and he just looked exhausted.

The therapist exited the room after him, sending Haley a small smile.

"Hi, I'm Dr. Olivia Pruitt," She said, nodding at Haley, before looking over at Nathan. "Sorry for the long wait, he was my last appointment of the day, and we got a little carried away."

"Oh, it's no trouble," Haley assured her, resting her hand on Nathan's back lightly, nodding at her. "Thank you so much."

"Of course. Nathan, I'll be seeing you next week. Same time," Olivia said, nodding at him. "Probably best to go home and relax a little. Clear your mind."

Nathan offered her a small nod, letting out a deep breath. "Thank you," He said, glancing down at Haley.

"You can check out at reception, I'll see you next week," Olivia said, stepping back into the office.

Nathan dropped his arm around Haley's shoulders, pulling her into his side and sighing softly. "Is this okay?" He asked her quietly, looking down at her.

"Yes," She responded quickly, allowing her arm to slip around his waist, squeezing his side lightly, smiling as he squirmed away from her.

He sent her a playful glare, leading her out the doors, letting out a slow deep breath, heading towards his car.

"I don't see why you drive, you know..." She trailed off, getting into the car and shaking her head.

Nathan shrugged, getting in the drivers seat, looking over at her. "Then I get to have my own road rage," He joked, winking at her.

"I see," She laughed, looking over at him and biting her lip.

The ride home was pretty silent, but it wasn't uncomfortable. Nathan just seemed very thoughtful, listening to Haley hum along to the music playing throughout the car.

When they got back to his house, he hurried around the car to pull open her door, a smile on his face.

She got out quickly, looking up at him and raising her eyebrows. "What's with the grin?" She asked him, poking his stomach.

"I'm happy to see you," He informed her, leading her inside, nodding his head quickly.

"We've been together for a couple of hours," She laughed, following him into his open living room.

"But before I was a little stressed, now I'm not so stressed," He said, gesturing for her to sit down on the couch, before following her lead and taking a seat next to her. "Now I can just be with you for a little while," He said softly, looking over at her and smiling.

She smiled over at him, nodding and letting out a deep breath, glancing over at the book at was still sitting on the coffee table. She leaned forward, picking it up.

"Wait," He said quickly, moving to reach forward and grab it from her.

She raised her eyebrows, tugging it away from his grabbing hands. "What?"

"Haley..." He shook his head, sighing softly. He held out his hand to her, glancing at his palm for her to place the book in it.

"Why can't I look at it? It's my book, Nathan," She laughed, shaking her head. "I let you borrow it, now I want it back."

He sighed, pretending to slump back against the couch, before reaching for it again, yanking it from her hands and standing up. "Ha!"

"What don't you want me to see? I've read it cover to cover multiple times..." She trailed off, grabbing at the book.

Nathan raised it up over his head, looking down at her and shaking his head. "I'll buy you a new copy."

"What?" She asked him, frowning slightly. "What's in this one, Nathan?"

"I didn't know you wanted it back," He said, shaking his head. "Please, Haley... Let me keep it."

Haley looked up at him, jumping up to try and grab it, tugging on his arm. "You can keep it but let me see."

He burst into laughter as she tried to grab it from his hands, looking down at her and shaking his head. "I will not."

"What are you hiding?" She asked him, poking his chest lightly.

He shook his head, looking away he cheeks tinting red slightly. "Um, nothing..." He said, sighing softly. "I just... Wrote in the book a little bit."

"You did?" She questioned, raising her eyebrows, a small smile forming on her face. "Can I see?"

He looked down at her, pushing his hand through his hair, before lowering it down so she could grab it. "Yes, but I'm going to go change clothes to get out of watching you read this," He grumbled, walking out of the room.

Haley hummed softly, sitting down and opening up the cover of the book. Her eyes narrowed in on a picture of the two of them he had taped inside, biting the inside of her cheek lightly.

She slowly traced her finger around the edges of the picture, before opening up the book. She didn't notice any writing on the first couple of pages, but as she continued, she noticed he'd started to underline a few things, and then he'd started writing next to them. They weren't very long, often times just a word or two that described his thoughts, or occasionally she found a sentence that described what he thought he was doing at this time.

Simple, but it meant the world to her... He had really taken the time to thoroughly read through the book, rather than just skim the words. She looked towards the stairs, letting out a deep breath and flipping through the pages.

Her eyes landed on her name, quickly halting her skimming. She touched over the words. There was a bracket around a few paragraphs, that pointed out to Nathan's handwriting that said: 'Met Haley?'

She raised her eyebrows, reading over the paragraphs quickly, a small smile forming on her face. She glanced towards the stairs once again, biting down on her bottom lip lightly.

He had assumed this was around the time the two of them met. That was so cute. He'd included her in part of his own history that he was adding into his brother's book.

Wow.

She felt her heart start pumping at that, looking down at the book again. She wanted this copy. She'd heard about Nathan's past, but she wanted the copy where she could read parts of his stories. She wanted to read all about what Nathan was doing through out Lucas' whole book. He was in there quite frequently, going from essentially the villain to the best friend, but she wanted to know his thoughts, and his actions. She wanted this book.

"Alright, I think you've had enough time with it," Nathan chuckled as he stepped back down the stairs, falling on the couch, taking the book from her hands.

"Wait, no!" She groaned, looking at him and shaking her head. "Let me take it, please..."

He looked at her, raising his eyebrows and frowning slightly. "No, it's embarrassing..."

"What's there to be embarrassed about, Nathan? It's amazing..." She trailed off, looking down at the object now in his hands.

"I don't know, Hales..." He sighed, flipping it open and looking down at the page it flipped to. "It's just my bad handwriting."

"I love it," She told him, scooting closer to him, letting out a deep breath. "When did you do this?"

"I've read through it a couple of times, and I just started doing it," He mumbled, shrugging.

"A couple of times? Why didn't you tell me?" She asked him quickly, pushing on his arm and grinning.

"I didn't think it mattered," He laughed, shrugging his shoulders slightly.

"Can I ask why the picture is in there?" She asked him, flipping open to the cover of the book, tracing her finger over the photo of the two of them.

He looked down at her, shrugging his shoulders. "When it got hard to read this damn book, I just needed a little reminder of why I was doing it in the first place..." He said softly.

Haley looked at him, biting her lip lightly, nodding slowly. She moved her hand from the book, keeping her gaze on his, taking his hand in hers.

"That's sweet, Nathan..." She trailed off, smiling up and him, letting out a deep breath.

Nathan felt his heart rate speed up at something so simple as her holding his hand. He missed her so desperately. He wanted to hold her again, and for her to be his again. He wanted to love her the way that she deserved to be loved. Because after quite some time of separation... He was still in love with her.

"I'm flattered that you added me into it," She said, squeezing his hand lightly and winking at him.

"You saw that? Damn, you work fast..." He chuckled, nodding at her. He shrugged slightly, looking down. "Yeah, well... You made an impression on me."

"I'm glad I did," She said softly, looking at him again. "The feeling is mutual."

He smiled at her, leaning forward and pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. "Can I get you anything?"

"I'm fine," She hummed, taking the book out of his hands, flipping it open once again.

"You know, you sound all high on yourself, walking around and telling people you're fine," He chuckled, smirking slightly.

"Oh, honey, I just speak the truth," She responded, keeping her grasp on his hand as she looked through the book.

Nathan watched her for a few minutes, a content smile on his face, occasionally brushed his thumb along the back of her hand.

This was nice. That was what he wanted, Haley back... He wanted to spend his mornings and his evenings with her. Sitting next to her one the couch, watching her read.

"Do you want to tell me how it went?" Haley asked after a few minutes, setting the book down on the opposite side of her, turning and looking up at Nathan.

"With my therapist?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows and shrugging slightly. "It went fine..."

"You seem like you're doing alright," She concluded, squeezing his hand. "I was worried how you'd be when you came out, and you were a little quiet, but you seem good."

"I am," He assured her, letting out a deep breath. "I didn't think I was going to just start telling her everything, but we got carried away, and I just... Couldn't stop? I guess... I didn't know if I'd be able to break it up into pieces. It felt good to get it off my chest. I know I told you everything, but it felt good to tell someone else."

"I get that," She hummed, nodding up at him and letting out a deep breath, squeezing his hand once again.

"And there are things I can say to her, that I can't say to you..." He commented, clearing his throat and shrugging slightly.

"You can say anything to me, Nathan," She responded quickly, nodding up at him. "I'll always be here for you."

"I can't tell you how much I miss you, and how much I want to be with you, Haley... You know, things like that," He chuckled, offering her a smile, "I guess I just told them to you.

She held onto his hand tighter, pulling it into her lap. "Nathan, I miss you so much. Please don't think I don't," She said softly, staring up at him. "But you seem like you're doing well, and that's what I want for you above anything else."

He let out a deep breath, turning slightly to face her. "I just want the nerves to go away... It's so difficult not being able to know if I'm about to cross a boundary that we've set by resting my hand on your back, or telling you that you look beautiful, and sexy... God, I miss you..." He whispered, looking down at her.

She stared up at him, her heart rate speeding up, shifting slightly so that she was facing him as well, resting his hand on her leg.

His eyes killed her. They were so blue, she could spend hours staring at them. They were full of want, and need... And it was all for her.

She felt it too. Her guard was up, but it was coming down very quickly. Every part of her wanted every part of him.

"Kiss me, Nathan..." She said softly, nodding up at him, resting her hand on his arm.

Nathan raised his eyebrows, looking down at her. "Are you sure?" He asked her softly.

"Yes," Haley responded quickly, sliding her hand up to cup the side of his face, pulling it down to meet hers in the middle.

Nathan eyes fluttered shut as their lips joined. His heart ached for her, but now the aching was coming to an end, at least for the time being. They'd been moving forward, making progress. This was a good sign. He just had to remember not to let himself get carried away in her.

Haley moved her hand from his cheek so it could wrap around his neck, pulling him closer to her. Her other hand grabbed onto his, moving it from her leg, resting it on her waist.

He smiled against her lips, leaning closer to her, squeezing her waist slightly, before giving her a small tug closer to him.

All they were doing was kissing, but he felt like he was on fire. He'd experienced all of Haley James, but damn did it feel good to be kissing her again. She turned him into mush. She had so much power over him.

Haley held back a whimper at the grip his hand had on her waist. She'd missed his hands on her, clothed and unclothed. She didn't want him to fight his natural instincts. If he felt like holding her hand, she wanted him to hold her hand. If he felt like pulling her into a tight hug, she wanted him to do that. She wanted him to know that she was still very into the idea of being with him, and that she wanted to move forward. They still had plenty to work out, but she wanted to be his, and wanted him to be hers. It wasn't an open invitation to going back to what they'd been prior, it was a reward, for her and for him. They'd both held strong, and made progress, so it made sense that since they were making progress as people, they could make some progress together? It could take years for each of them to be the exact right person for the other, but why not do some of that growing together?

She fell backwards against the couch slowly, ignoring Lucas' book jamming into her back as she tugged him down with her.

He dropped some of his weight down on her, supporting himself with one arm, keeping their kiss slow and meaningful like they each needed it to be. They needed to feel each other.

Haley pulled him down, her arms wrapping around his neck once again, hands dipping down to feel his muscular shoulders, letting out a hum of approval.

He lifted his head from hers after a few minutes of kissing her, sending her a mischievous look.

"What's that?" She asked him between breaths, raising his eyebrows.

"Oh, nothing," He hummed in response, glancing over the edge of the couch.

"What are you-"

Haley was cut off by Nathan rolling them off the couch, him landing on his back on the carpet, Haley on top of him.

She burst into a loud fit of laughter, shaking her head and staring down at him. "How did that feel?"

"Worth it," He laughed along with her, his arms twining around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

She pressed her face into his shoulder, continuing to let out muffled laughs, while listening to him laugh as well.

When they both finally caught their breath, she lifted her head up and smiled down at him. "I missed that laugh, maybe most of all."

He grinned at her, holding onto her tightly. "Nice to know," He chuckled, letting out a deep breath.

She leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to his lips once more, before shaking her head and laughing once again. "Beats laying on the book, right?"

"I think my carpet is comfortable," He agreed, rubbing his hand up and down her back lightly. "Thanks for coming here, Haley. I know you're busier every day since finals week is coming up, but it means a lot to me."

She smiled, resting her head back against his shoulder, closing her eyes and letting out a deep breath, "When you need me, I'm here..."

He smiled, squeezing her tightly against him in approval, laying his head back against the carpet and staring up at the ceiling. "Maybe next week I can go visit you in Tree Hill."

She nodded her head, nuzzling her nose into the soft t-shirt that he'd changed into, letting his cologne fill her senses. "I'd like that," She told him, letting out a deep breath.

"I'd get a room in that shitty little motel, of course, since I now know how difficult it is for you to be around me," He teased her, smoothing his hand over her shoulders.

She laughed, smacking his arm an lifting up her head. "Don't forget it," She hummed, pressing her lips to his once more.

He smirked up at her, letting out a hum of approval, winking at her, before laughing again.

Haley touched her hand to his cheek, scrunching up her nose at him and smiling brightly.

She really had missed the happy, roll off the couch to make her laugh, side of Nathan. He was a pro at getting laughs out of her by doing silly things. She'd missed the teasing, flirty side that she suspected was going to start making more appearances again after she'd eased his insecurities a little bit.

"Hey," He said, scratching his fingers over her shoulder blades. "Can I make you dinner?"

She raised her eyebrows, looking at him and laughing. "Really?" She asked him.

"I may have a few tricks up my sleeve that I've picked up on over the last month or so," He informed her, smirking slightly. "What do you say?"

"I say hell yes!" She laughed, moving off of him quickly, grabbing onto his hand and helping pull him up. "Let's see what Chef Scott has going on," She said, nodding towards the kitchen.

"What do you think of peanut butter and fish together?" He joked, raising his eyebrows and looking over at her.

"Funny," She responded, resting her hand on his back. "Nothing more charming than someone making dinner for you, Nathan. Keep that in mind." She laughed, pushing him towards the kitchen.

"Why do you think I learned it?" He responded, shrugging his shoulders and grinning. "I was taught by the legendary Clay Evans, so you know whatever I make is going to be good."

"Can't wait," She responded, turning quickly, leaning over the couch to pick up the book, before turning back to him. "I'm going to sit in, just to be safe, but I'm also going to do some reading."

"Oh, great," He groaned, shaking his head and laughing. "Probably best if you sit there and make sure I don't burn my house down."

"I didn't want to say it out loud, but you're more than welcome to," She said, stepping into the kitchen, taking a seat at the bar across from the sink.

Nathan smiled at her, walking over to the fridge, pulling out items that he was going to need. He occasionally glanced in her direction, his smile growing at the sight of her, immersed in the book she'd probably read dozens of times. He rolled his eyes slightly as she squinted down at the words, occasionally mouthing a sentence to herself.

"Don't you usually wear glasses when you read?" He asked her, looking over and raising his eyebrows.

"Yeah, but I make do without them," She laughed, shaking her head. "I usually only wear them at home."

"Stubborn as hell," He commented, winking at her and shaking his head.

"Quiet, you," She laughed, pointing at him and turning her focus back down to the words on the page.

He laughed, shaking his head and looking at her as she continued to read. He probably looked like he had heart eyes right now, and that was definitely how he was feeling.

Things weren't perfect. Things would never be perfect. But with that said, things were looking pretty damn good right now.

He laughed again as she cleared her throat, her eyes flicking up to him, gesturing with her hand to continue what he was doing, before a huge grin formed on her face.

Yeah, there was no way he to not be in love with her.

He turned his attention back to the fridge, closing it, before moving onto the freezer next to it.

xxxx

Haley stepped up to Clay and Quinn's home, looking over her shoulder at him and smiling. "I had fun tonight, Nathan..." She said, nodding at him.

"I had so much fun," He agreed, resting his hand on her shoulder and nodding. "Thank you."

"You don't need to thank me," She assured him, poking his stomach lightly, letting out a deep breath. "Are you coming to Clay and Quinn's for breakfast tomorrow?"

"It's pancake Sunday, Hales... I wouldn't miss it. Trust me," He laughed, nodding at her. "I think this is working for us, Hales."

"Me too," She responded, smiling up at him.

He let out a deep breath, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Nights like these make it worth it," He said softly, squeezing her shoulder.

She nodded, letting out a deep breath and taking a small step closer to him. "Thank you for everything you're doing, Nathan..."

"Thank you for being my inspiration to do it, Haley. You give me drive when I have none," He responded quickly, resting his forehead against hers lightly.

She stood on her toes, kissing him softly, wrapping her arms around his waist, pulling him tighter against her.

He smiled, resting his hands on her elbows, kissing her softly in return.

After a few more seconds, she parted from him, smiling up at him. "I'll see you tomorrow," She said nodding.

"Yep. You have your book?" He asked, tapping her purse.

"If I finish it tonight, I'll give it back to you tomorrow. If not, you'll just have to wait until next week," She hummed, nodding up at him.

"Alright," He responded, laughing quietly. He kissed her forehead once more, "I'll see you tomorrow morning. Try to slide some chocolate chips into the pancakes if you can."

"I'll do my best. Text me when you get home so I know you made it safely," She said to him quickly, stepping up towards the front door.

He waited until she walked inside, before turning and walking to his car, driving away.

Haley watched him out the window, biting her lip to hold back her smile.

"Where have you been, young lady? It is way past your curfew," Clay joked with her, from inside the kitchen, his eyebrows raised expectantly.

"Haha, you're so funny, Clayton," Haley hummed out, shaking her head and walking into the kitchen, leaning against the counter. "What are you doing up? I thought old people went to bed at like seven."

"I talked to the other old people, it's like nine now. But I have a grouchy old person next to me that's having trouble sleeping tonight, so it's actually closer to midnight now," He informed her, rolling his eyes and shaking his head.

"So you're here for a midnight snack?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"I'm here making the bear some warm milk because that's exactly what will make her sleep, but only if I got out of bed to make it," Clay responded, shaking his head and feeling the mug once it came out of the microwave.

"She went from old person to the bear, yikes..." Haley laughed, shaking her head. "That's sweet of you, Clay. You're good to her."

"I have to be, especially when you're in town. You're scary," Clay teased her, grinning at her.

"I know," She hummed, nodding at him. "I try."

Clay chuckled, nodding his head and looking at her. "How did it go?"

"Ugh, he's just so cute. It makes it so hard to not throw caution to the wind sometimes. He's so smooth, and funny... I missed him so much. He's acting so mature, I feel like he really cares about me because he's trying so hard and it's just so cute. It was so nice spending time with him tonight, just the two of us. I know I didn't see him all that long ago when we visited Cooper, but wow... Not to mention he is such a good kisser, I mean that might be TMI, but that boy knows he way around, let me tell you. He just seems like he's doing well," Haley said, letting out a deep breath, leaning against the counter. "I don't know, what do you think?"

Clay looked at her, raising his eyebrows and putting the mug in the microwave again, warming it up for a little bit longer, "I was actually asking about the therapy, but I do agree that he's so cute and so funny... I don't have any experience with his kissing, but I've heard good things..." He laughed, winking at her.

Haley's cheeks turned slightly red, covering them up with her hands, "Right, sorry..." She said, letting out a deep breath to calm her racing heart. "I think it went really well, honestly... He was in there for three hours, which I way longer than we anticipated, but I think he told her the whole story. He's going back next week, or he said he was, so you need to make sure he does. He just seemed lighter after he finished. He was quiet for awhile, but then he was acting so happy."

"I'm glad," Clay responded, pulling the mug out of the microwave once more, taking a drink to test it, before pulling a face. "Yep... Warm milk is still horrible. I can't believe she likes this stuff."

"Aw! You hate it but you tried it to make sure it was the right temperature, that's so sweet..." She gushed, grinning at him. "Next time she calls me to complain about you, I'll be sure to bring this up."

"You know, for a second I thought you were being nice to me. Guess I was wrong," Clay laughed, smiling at her. "Sleep tight, James... I'm hoping I get at least some sleep. Maybe I'll slip a sleeping pill in here."

"Good luck," Haley laughed, watching him head out of the room.

"Hey, Haley..." Clay stopped, looking over his shoulder, offering her a small nod. "Thanks."

She smiled at him, letting out a deep breath. "You too, Clay."

He smiled, pausing once more and looking at her again, "Have a nice cold shower."

Haley groaned, slapping her hand onto her forehead and shaking her head. "I knew Quinn should have married David."

"Too far," Clay laughed, heading up the stairs.

Haley smiled, letting out a deep breath, pulling Lucas' book out of her purse, turning off the lights, heading into the guest bedroom she was staying in for some late night reading.


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

Haley let her eyes briefly graze over Nathan's chest as he spoke to her from across her desk, whatever he was saying becoming noise in the background, unfortunately.

He was wearing a shirt that she was positive she'd never seen before, a blue button up, with three of the top buttons undone, allowing her to see not nearly enough of his muscular chest, but enough to ignite a yearning for him inside of her.

She needed a cold drink of water or something to cool her down, because she definitely couldn't leap over the desk and start going at him like she wanted to. She let out a slow, deep breath, scooting her chair forward slightly, forcing her gaze to shift down to the food sitting in front of her, which for some reason she'd hardly touched, mostly likely because she was so busy staring at her boyfriend.

She didn't really realize how difficult it would be for her when he arrived in Tree Hill the night prior. Having him come to her apartment, a place that they'd pretty much shared for awhile, and then having to watch him exit through the front door, rather than join her in her bedroom... It was difficult. The right thing to do, but difficult.

Then he showed up in her classroom with lunch, but really all she suddenly want to do was devour him.

There was something different about the way he held himself. He stood tall, head high. He seemed confident.

She was sure he'd seen her lick her lips while staring at his chest earlier, which was probably another boost to his confidence. Dammit.

"Haley?"

His smooth voice brought her out of her thoughts, causing her eyes to quickly flick to his to his face.

"Hm?" She asked him, sending a sheepish smile in his direction.

"I asked if you were feeling alright," Nathan said, raising his eyebrows and looking at her, leaning forward a little bit.

"Yeah, I'm fine," She responded quickly, maybe a little too quickly. She let out another deep breath, looking down at her food.

"You've hardly eaten," He said, frowning and shaking his head. "You're kind of flushed."

"I'm fine, really. I just... Had a big breakfast and then I are a granola bar right before you came in here," She said, clearing her throat and forcing herself to smile at him again.

He returned her smile, nodding his head slowly, before leaning back in his chair. "I was told by my counselor that I need to express my feelings to you more," He commented, shrugging slightly. "And I think you should do the same."

"I don't know if you want to know what's going through my head right now," Haley chuckled, shaking her head and sighing softly.

"Try me." Nathan responded, knocking his hands on her desk lightly.

"I think I'll keep this one to myself for now," She laughed, reaching across her desk, lightly placing her hand over his.

He shook his head, laughing quietly, "Fine, fine..." He hummed, turning his hand over, touching his palm to hers. "I don't feel like I'm going to explode for once, Haley."

Haley raised her eyebrows, nodding at him to continue, glancing down when his fingertips lightly stroked her wrist, making it a little hard to focus on what he was saying.

"I loved spending time with you, Haley... But I don't know if I was ever fully with you. You always made me feel better, but in the back of my head, I always felt like I wasn't worthy, because of all the things I've done. I felt like I was too broken to spend time with you. You made me feel better, but right now... I feel amazing. Does that make sense?" He asked her, clearing his throat and raising his eyebrows.

She nodded slowly in response, sliding his hand back lightly until her fingers hooked in his. "Yeah, it makes sense."

"In the back of my head, I was always thinking about how I feel like I'm the reason my mom is dead, and how I lost the one thing I actually gave a shit about because I made a stupid decision, then all of my other stupid decisions come piling in, and I just... I wasn't with you fully. I wanted to be, and I desperately tried to be, but it was always there." He said, letting out a deep breath, glancing around. "This might be one of the worst places I could tell you, but I had to apologize."

Haley bit her lip to hold back the grin that was trying to form on her face. She felt almost constant reassurance that everything they were doing right now was working for them, and here was yet another thing.

She stood up slowly, glancing towards the clock. She stepped over to him, leaning down and kissing him softly, resting her hand on his cheek lightly, tilting his face upwards.

He smiled against her lips, resting his hand on her waist and squeezing his eyes shut tightly. Now he really wished they were somewhere else right now so he could pull her into his lap and kiss her properly without the fear of a teenager walking in.

When she parted from him, he watched her walk back around the desk, unable to stop from grinning. He wished that he could live ten seconds in her head just to know what was going through it right now.

After all the separation time... He was still so in love with her. Hell, even looking at a picture of her made his heart race. All she had to do was send him a text message, and he felt it. If he thought about her, which he did pretty much all the time, he knew it. He knew he was in love.

He told himself the only reason he had not told her was because they were in limbo, but he knew that wasn't true. He wouldn't have told her even if nothing had ever happened to them. He'd still be sitting here, thinking it and feeling it, but never saying it.

"I'm so happy, Nathan," She told him, bringing him out of his thoughts. She reached her hand forward again, grabbing onto his. "I'm happy that you're finding what you need to help you."

"It's all you, Haley. You push me to be a better person," He said, nodding at her. "I want you to see me as the man you once did, and I want to be that man."

She smiled, leaning forward, holding his hand to her lip. "Thank you, Nathan," She said softly, letting out a deep breath. "I'm so grateful for you."

He nodded at her, squeezing her hand lightly. He felt her drop his hand when the door opened. He watched as she stood up straight, her body language becoming more defensive. His gaze flickered over to the door briefly as a tall, teenage boy walked in confidently, wearing a grin.

"Quentin," Haley sighed, shaking her head. "What are you doing here?"

"You wanted to see me, Miss James," Quentin grinned, nodding in Nathan's direction, before looking at Haley.

"I wanted to see you this morning before school, but you neglected to show up. Not when you're supposed to be in your history class," Haley scolded him, shaking her head and letting out an annoyed sigh.

"After a night with me, you can't wake up that early," He responded, a smirk on his face.

Nathan watched Haley's expression change, and he could tell that her blood was boiling. He stood to his feet quickly, turning to look at the kid that had just walked in.

"What are you, her body guard?" Quentin laughed, shaking his head and sitting on the center desk in the first row of the classroom.

"Quentin, it's not acceptable to speak to me like that. We had a meeting scheduled at 7:45 this morning, and you didn't show up. If you want to talk to me, wait until after school, or tomorrow morning. But if you miss another one, I'll be forced to get your parents involved," Haley said, resting her hand on her desk and nodding her head.

"I'm shaking," Quentin said sarcastically, leaning back and shrugging his shoulders. His eyes moved over to Nathan once more, raising his eyebrows. "Wait a minute... I know you!"

Nathan crossed his arms, shaking his head. "You're going to really know me if you keep talking to your teacher that way."

"All my teachers, or just this one?" Quentin responded, winking at Nathan and laughing.

"Nathan, sit down," Haley said, shaking her head and letting out a deep breath.

"Nathan Scott," Quentin nodded, standing up once again. "Thought you were in a wheelchair or something? Or was the pressure of losing your last chance at a title too much and you made it up

Nathan looked at him, crossing his arms and taking a step closer to Quentin, shaking his head. "Keep talking, kid, really. I like hearing my name."

"Nathan, sit down," Haley said, pointing at his chair, stepping around her desk. "Quentin, leave. Right now, or I'll get Principal Turner involved. We'll discuss your grade after school. Go to your history class."

Quentin laughed, shaking his head and tapping on the desk lightly. "I'll see you after school, Miss James." He said, winking at her, before turning and stepping out of the classroom in confident strides.

Nathan sat down, pushing his hand through his hair, looking up at her and shaking his head. "That's the kid?"

"That's him," Haley sighed, sitting down and rolling her eyes. "I mean you'd think his act would get old eventually? Nope, that's how he's been pretty much the whole year."

He frowned, looking towards the door and letting out an annoyed sigh, "What a jerk, Haley... Why doesn't anyone do anything?"

"The only time he cared was when I threatened to talk to his basketball coach," She said, shaking her head. "Then when I followed through, he didn't care at all. He was confused why I was in his office."

Nathan tapped his fingers on her desk, looking at her thoughtfully. "Whitey never would've let shit like that go. He would've had my ass if any more my teachers would have-"

He cut himself off, his frown deepening, looking towards the door again. "Oh..." He said, leaning back in his chair.

"What?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"That's just... Never mind," He said, waving his hand, sliding it through his hair. "School's almost over though, right?"

"Yeah, but he's going to be stuck in summer school with me," She said, rubbing her temples. "I'm going to have a lot of fun."

"I'm sorry, Hales..." He sighed, grabbing onto her hand once again. "For what it's worth, I think you handled it really well."

"Thanks," She said, smiling at him and looking down at her food. "Do you think you could take this to my apartment for me?"

"Of course," He said, standing up slowly, glancing at the clock. "I better get going anyways, your prep hour is almost over, and the run in I just had with one of your students wasn't exactly pleasant," He chuckled, nodding at her.

Haley smiled at him, standing up as well and holding out the take out box to him. "Thanks, Nathan..." She said softly, nodding.

He took it from her, leaning down and kissing her briefly. "I'll see you later. Call me when you're leaving?"

"Of course," She hummed, nodding at him. She stood on her toes, kissing him one more time, before pulling back and biting her lip lightly.

He grinned at her, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Bye," He said, turning and walking out of her classroom, glancing over his shoulder.

xxxx

"I have to say, Hales... This is a weird date," He chuckled, glancing up at the house they were approaching, shrugging his shoulders.

"Shush, Nathan... I want a puppy and I can't get one in the apartment I live in now, so I'm looking at houses," Haley said, smacking his arm lightly, before sliding her hand down, interlocking their fingers.

"All of this for a dog?" He asked her curiously, smiling down at her.

She shrugged her shoulders, turning her attention to the woman waiting near the front door as they approached her.

"Hi, you must be Haley," The woman hummed, shaking Haley's hand quickly, smiling brightly. "I'm Carol."

"Nice to meet you, Carol. I appreciate you meeting with me as late as you are, I won't take up too much of your time." Haley said, nodding at her. "This is Nathan."

Nathan nodded politely, letting go of Haley's hand to shake Carol's. "Hello," He commented, clearing his throat.

"Nice to meet both of you. Let's get down to business, have you ever looked at houses before?" Carol asked, raising her eyebrows.

"No. Apartments, but never a house," Haley responded, latching her hand onto Nathan's once again.

"Excellent. I only have two places mapped out for the evening, due to the lack of time, but I think you'll like them," Carol said, stepping to the front door, unlocking it and pushing it open, stepping inside.

"Is it too late to bail?" Nathan whispered to Haley, shaking his head and laughing.

"Oh, whatever. You're going to have a great time," Haley laughed, stepping inside after Carol, tugging Nathan along with her.

"This home was built a few years ago. The couple that originally built it was preparing for their first child, but he was in the military and they were relocated. It's been on the market ever since," Carol told them, looking over at them. "The layout is a little odd and I think that's one of the reasons that it hasn't been sold yet. Two bedrooms, two and a half bath. It has a main floor as well as a basement."

Haley looked around, raising her eyebrows and nodding slowly. "I like the hardwood floors," She hummed, looking down.

"A puppy would scratch those up," Nathan said, rubbing the back of his neck and shrugging his shoulders.

"They're fairly scratch resistant," Carol cut in, shaking her head. "The hardwood is not everywhere in the house though. Why don't we continue looking around?"

Haley nodded, smiling brightly and letting out a deep breath. "Yeah, I like the entry way so I'm excited to see the rest of it."

After a tour of the house, stopping a couple of places more than once, they ended up back in the living room.

"Alright, I'll wait in the kitchen while you think for a moment," Carol said, smiling at them, before turning and heading into the kitchen that wasn't too far off from the living room.

Haley looked over at Nathan, raising his eyebrows. "What do you think?" She asked him.

"I think you're going to need more furniture," Nathan responded, looking around and shrugging his shoulders.

She laughed, shaking her head and resting her hand on his shoulder. "I'm serious, Nathan. What do you think?"

He looked down at her, "I think it's nice. But I'm not the one living here. What do you think, Hales?"

"I think it's nice too. But... I don't know, do you think it fits me?" She asked him, gesturing around. "I've always wanted a big back yard, and it's not that big. I want a fireplace in my living room." She said, pointing her hand towards the wall she'd like it to be on. "And possibly one in my bedroom, but that's something I can live without. But I want one in here."

"You can add it on," He suggested, shrugging his shoulders. "The back yard isn't something you can fix, though."

"I think it's great, don't get me wrong. But does it feel like me?" She sighed, looking up at him. "This is my first home, and I know it won't have everything I want, and maybe I'll move eventually, but it won't be for awhile."

"I don't know, Haley... It's in good condition, there are a lot of things you like about it. It's still fairly new, the basement is big. The master bedroom is nice, it has a big bath tub which you seemed to like," He said, shrugging his shoulders.

"But, Nathan... When you look around here, can you see me walking around? Cooking in the kitchen, doing my laundry? Reading a book?" She asked him, raising his eyebrows.

"I don't know if I'd be able to imagine that in any house we go to without actually seeing it first," He chuckled, kissing her forehead.

"What did you and Clay look for when you were buying your house? What did you think about?" Haley asked, sighing softly.

"I didn't see the house once before I moved in," Nathan said, shrugging his shoulders. "You'd have to ask Clay, because I didn't care."

"Right," She sighed, winding her arms around his waist and resting her head against his shoulder briefly. "I guess I'll have to look for a little while before I decide. I don't need to buy the first house I look at."

"Probably a smart move," He said, kissing the top of her head and letting out a deep breath. "Are you ready to go tell her?"

"Yeah, yeah..." She sighed, shaking her head. "I was hoping to knock this out on the first go, but I guess it can't be that easy."

"Head up, James. Maybe it will be the next one? Or maybe this house will have the boy next door type of thing where you realize everything you've ever wanted has always been right in front of you?" He chuckled, winking at her.

She grinned up at him, tapping his chest lightly and nodding her head. "Feeling optimistic, huh?"

"Something like that," He responded, nodding towards the kitchen. "Let's get this show on the road, I'm starving."

xxxx

After spending awhile looking around the next house, and not being overly impressed, and then stopping to grab a quick dinner, they were finally back at Haley's apartment.

Nathan slid his arm around her shoulders comfortably, looking down at his phone as he scrolled through houses available in Tree Hill, her head rested against him as she watched, occasionally stopping him.

"I thought that it would be like a wow moment," Haley sighed, lifting up her head and looking at him. "I only looked at two houses, I know, but I thought I would step in and feel like I was home."

"Maybe you will," He said, shaking his head and chuckling quietly. "But maybe you won't. I mean... It's a house, Hales."

"I'm looking for a home, Nathan... There's a difference," She said, looking down at his phone once again. "It doesn't need to be very big, or very fancy, but I just want to feel like it's a place I can call my own. No sharing a wall with my neighbors, no listening to the clumsy people above me drop literally everything in my home. No worrying about making too much noise."

"Maybe you could rent, Hales? I mean, you said that you aren't planning on living there forever," He said, clearing his throat.

"If I rent then I have to live by someone else's rules and I don't want to do that," She said, shaking her head and sighing softly. "I'll find a place."

"Well, why don't we write down exactly what you're looking for?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows and smiling at her.

She looked at him, a grin forming on her face. "Nathan Scott, did you just suggest we make a list?"

"Yeah, I did. I guess you're rubbing off on me," He chuckled, hopping up to his feet. He walked into the kitchen, finding a pen and paper from one of the drawers, before sitting down next to her once again. He set down the paper, grabbing the edge of the coffee table and pulling it closer to him, leaning forward and looking down at the blank piece of paper, before glancing over at her. "How many bedrooms do you want?"

"Two to three, probably. Same with bathrooms," She said, looking at the paper as he began to write it down.

"Okay..." He said, humming softly and looking at her once again, nodding expectantly.

"I was a big back yard so that my nieces and nephews have room to play, and so that my dog has room to play. With a fence too..." She said, smiling slightly. "Maybe a deck or a patio as well that I can put chairs on and relax in while I read and bask in the sun."

"Big yard... Fence... Patio or deck..." He said out loud as he wrote it down.

"Maybe I can put a basketball hoop up in my driveway too..." She trailed off, leaning over and pressing a kiss to his head.

He chuckled, nodding his head and writing it down, letting out a deep breath. "Not sure why you'd want a basketball hoop, I don't think you'll use it much," He joked, looking over at her.

"I can't imagine why," She responded, winking at him, looking at the paper and examining the list. "Let's see... I want a nice kitchen, because one of the first things I admire when I enter a house is the way the kitchen looks. With a bar and, or, an island," She told him, humming softly. "It doesn't need to be too fancy, I just want it to look nice."

Nathan nodded his head, humming softly and writing down her request, holding the paper in place as he wrote.

"I want a fire place in the living room, and the master bedroom if possible," She said, nodding her head. "I love sitting by the fire at night, or in the winter time. I can just picture it, Nathan... I wish I could just build but I don't want to wait, and I don't want to spend the money..."

"I'm sure we'll find you something, Hales... These seem like pretty normal requests," He hummed, shrugging his shoulders. "You know, I have a fireplace in my bedroom. Not sure if you've ever been in there besides when I gave you the tour of my house, even then it was pretty quick."

"You do?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows. "Well damn, why the hell are we always at my house?" She joked, shaking her head.

"You have a job," He laughed, nudging his elbow into her arm.

"Right. That," She said, laughing quietly. "I just think that they're cozy, and they can be romantic as well. But I don't need one in my bedroom, my main priority is in the living room."

"I never use mine. You'd think I would in the winter, but not really," He said, shaking his head. "Clay had one in his room too."

"That's because you're a heater, you don't need one," She said, rolling her eyes and smiling at him. "Okay, well write that one down, and we can take it off later."

Nathan wrote it down, before looking over at her and smiling, watching and she began to think of other things she wanted in her first home.

He felt his heart thump a little bit at the thought of them maybe doing this together. In a way, they were, since he was helping her, but not the way he was thinking of. As soon as she was all moved into her home, he'd be a guest in the house. Maybe they'd be on different terms, so he'd get to stay there with her, but he would still be a guest.

He wanted to drop the busy life New York offered so badly, and move back to North Carolina. He wanted to live in the same place as her so they'd never have to fly back and forth to see each other. He loved the quiet life so much more than he thought he would. He loved the stillness that was offered in Tree Hill.

"I want a master bathroom," She said, bringing him from his thoughts and nodding. "The first house had one, but the second house didn't. I like my own space."

"Good one," He commented, clearing his throat and looking down at the paper. "How many floors?"

"At least two levels, I don't care if one of them is a basement or if it's a second floor. Maybe both, if I can find it within my price range," She hummed, brushing her fingers through her hair. "But that's flexible as well, if I find one I like."

"You really know what you want, don't you?" He asked her, chuckling quietly and writing it down.

"I do," She laughed, scrunching her nose up at him and smiling. "Let's see..." She trailed off, tapping her chin lightly.

Her gaze narrowed in on Nathan's back as he was leaned forward to write down her request, biting her lip lightly.

She could see the muscles underneath his shirt, and there was the same desire from earlier that day igniting inside her. She loved his back. There was something so sexy about it, something that made her heart rate speed up just looking at him from behind. It was hard to keep her hands to herself when her boyfriend looked like a Greek God or something like that.

She couldn't exactly have him right now, but she could feel what was hers, right?

She flicked his eyes over his back once more, biting down on her tongue lightly as he leaned forward to read the list, her hand resting on his back quickly.

He glanced over at her, smiling slightly. "So, you've got the start of a nice list, but from what I can think of, there are a lot more things. How much counter space do you want? What color do you want your kitchen cupboards to be, things like that."

She nodded slowly, lightly flattening her palm over his back, feeling the muscles beneath her hand.

"I like having a lot of counter space," She hummed softly, letting out a deep breath. "When I'm grading, I take up a lot of room."

"Well do you want an office or anything?" He asked her, clearing his throat, humming softly.

She glanced over at her hand as it slid along his back, curling her fingers, beginning to scratch over his back lightly with her fingernails.

"I wouldn't mind it, but I can do my work perfectly well in the kitchen. Maybe if I have three bedrooms, I can have one be the guest bedroom, the other be my office with a pull out couch or something like that," She hummed quietly, watching Nathan's face as his eyelids fluttered lightly, feeling him relax underneath her hand.

"That sounds like a good idea," He responded, twirling the pen in his fingers lightly, letting out a small sigh, keeping his eyes shut. "Anything else?"

"I think we hit the main points. I know you think it's silly, but I feel like when I look at the house, I'll know..." She commented, looking at him and smiling.

"I don't think it's silly, Hales..." He mumbled out, his breathing slow and steady and she scratched her fingernails along his back.

Haley smiled at his reaction to her, subtly scooting closer to him, pressing a light kiss to his cheek, humming lightly.

How she'd done this to him had gone completely over his head. He'd gone from totally awake and alert to feeling utterly and completely relaxed within seconds. She was so damn perfect, and she knew the effect she was having on him too. She knew her power over him, and it really wasn't fair. He knew he had power over her too, of course, but he couldn't do anything about it when she turned him into mush.

"Haley, you have to stop," He forced himself to chuckle out, biting back a groan when he felt her thumb knead into his shoulder.

"I'm not doing anything, Nathan..." She hummed out, kissing the shell of his ear delicately.

"Baby..." He warned, clearing his throat. He felt the atmosphere shift lightly at one simple kiss, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Nathan, it's okay... Really," She said softly, leaning over and pressing a kiss to his shoulder, continuing to massage her hand over his back. "Let yourself go a little bit. I know you're stressed about taking things too far, but we'll know when to stop, okay?"

"I just don't want to push you," He said softly, shaking his head.

"I think I know my limits, Nathan. Trust me, you won't be," She laughed, smiling at him. She reached forward, grabbing the pen out of his hand, setting it down on the table. "Having you here has been difficult, because I want you so badly," She whispered in his ear.

"You're killing me, Hales..." He chuckled, looking over at her. "Are you sure it's alright?"

"Don't make me talk you into it, Nathan," She laughed, sliding her hand through his hair, smiling at him. "I don't want you to shut down your instincts, Nathan. It's alright, baby... I promise."

He nodded slowly, having her pinned back onto the couch within seconds, his lips on hers quickly.

xxxx

Nathan chuckled quietly, looking down at Haley as they awkwardly cuddled up next to each other on the couch, his fingers fiddling with the straps of the tank top she was wearing.

"You know, Haley... I have a lot of fun with you," He commented, smiling down at her. "I'm serious. You make me feel all the things I've never felt."

Haley smiled up at him, pressing a delicate kiss to his bare chest, nodding her head. "I'm glad to hear it, Nathan... I appreciate your patience."

"No, it's you that's the patient one. You're sticking around and waiting for me to get my act together when you could have any guy you want," He said, smiling at her and letting out a deep breath.

She rolled her eyes, cuddling closer to him and shaking her head. "You make me feel alive, Nathan. You give me something else to do and to think about besides getting up, going to work, coming home and repeating the cycle."

"I don't want to keep taking you for granted, Hales..." He said softly, looking down at her. "I want you to feel safe with me. I never want to hear that you were scared of me ever again. That crushed me."

"Nathan, a huge part of me worried that you'd drown yourself in self-pity and you'd drink yourself into a coma after everything, but you've really impressed me, baby... With everything that you're doing. I'm so proud of you," She told him, letting out a deep breath. "You're in counseling, you're thinking about going back to school... These are big steps."

"I know," He chuckled, looking up at the ceiling. "You're the reason I'm doing it, Haley. There were a lot of reasons to do it, but none of the mattered until I met you."

She smiled, tracing her pointer finger over his chest, letting out a deep breath. "Thank you, Nathan."

"Thank you, Haley," He responded, shaking his head and smiling brightly. "So when do we look at more houses?"

"After all your complaining, I won't make you do that again," She responded, laughing quietly.

"Oh, come on, I had fun. Carol probably didn't though, you're so picky," He said, smirking slightly.

"Don't be a jerk," She laughed, rolling her eyes. "I only saw two houses. But I don't think I'm going to look again until the school year is over. I don't like feeling rushed."

"Smart move. Take your time," He hummed out, pushing the strap of her tank top off her shoulder.

She looked up at him, sliding upwards lightly, pressing a kiss to his jaw. "I was impressed by how you handled yourself with Quentin today. I could tell you wanted to start swinging, but I'm really glad you didn't hit a high school student."

He sighed, shaking his head. "He shouldn't talk to his teachers like that, especially not you," He grumbled.

"I know," She said, resting her head back against his chest.

"I hate to say this, but after meeting him once, he reminds me of how I was in high school," Nathan grumbled, "Before Luke whipped me into shape. Even then, I still had my moments."

"I knew that's what you were thinking earlier," She chuckled, kissing his chest. "Well, it gives me hope. Because you ended up being a good guy, so I'm sure he can be one too."

"You're really stuck with him in summer school?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows and looking down at her.

"I'm afraid so. I met with him after school today and offered him some last minute extra credit opportunities, but if he doesn't ace the final then his grade won't be high enough, even with the extra credit," She said, shaking her head and letting out a frustrated sigh.

"Whitey would have made me run for days, and then I still would have been kicked off the team if he would've found out how I talked to my teachers," He chuckled, shaking his head. "And my dad would have kicked my ass."

She lifted her head up, looking down at him and offering him a small smile. "Well, good thing you figured it all out," She said, nodding at him.

"Yeah," He said, rubbing her arm lightly, glancing over at the clock hung on the wall. "I should probably get going."

She followed his gaze and sighed softly, climbing off of him and stretching out her arms. She found his shirt that had gotten tossed across their room in their earlier make out session, dropping it on him and finding her own shirt, pulling it over her head.

Nathan stood up slowly, sliding his shirt around his shoulders and buttoning it up slowly, smiling over at her.

"What?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows and shaking her head, stepping over to him and beginning to undo the buttons he'd just done since somehow he'd gotten off by one, fixing it quickly.

"You're beautiful, Haley James," He hummed, leaning down and kissing her forehead, dropping his arms to his sides and letting her fix his shirt.

"Thank you," She said softly, smoothing her hands over his shoulders. She walked him over to her door, smiling up at him. "So, I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Absolutely. Expect me here bright and early, you know, at about eleven," He joked, winking at her.

"Can't wait," She hummed, kissing him lightly, resting her hand on his shoulder.

He smiled, nodding at her, "You know, kissing you is pretty damn awesome," He commented, brushing his fingertips over her collarbone.

"Right back at you, stud," She hummed, laughing quietly and pulling open the door. "Get out of here before I get too tempted to remind you how awesome the rest of me is."

"Oh that's just not fair," He groaned, shaking his head and stepping into the doorway. "I'll let you know when I get back to my motel room safely, but if you don't hear from me in the morning, assume the rat that I'm fairly certain is living under my bed ate me."

"Oh, don't be so dramatic. That's a great place," She laughed, kissing him one last time before pushing on his chest.

"Bye, Hales. Sleep tight," He hummed, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Goodnight, Nathan. I'll check in with you in the morning to make sure you didn't end up a rodent's midnight snack," She laughed, leaning against the door frame and biting her lip.

"You make me feel so protected, I love it," He laughed beginning to head towards the stairs, still facing her.

"I do what I can. Goodnight, baby..." She said, waving at him and smiling brightly.

He was about to respond before he heard the loud banging on the door of the apartment next to hers, telling them to be quiet.

"Can't wait to move," Haley laughed, rolling her eyes and blowing him a kiss, watching as he 'caught' it and stuffed his hand into his pocket to keep it for later.

"Sweet dreams, angel," He hummed out, before turning and heading towards the stairs.

Haley smiled as she watched him go, letting out a deep breath before turning and heading back into her apartment.


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

"I don't know how to tell her," Nathan groaned, hitting the ping pong ball across the table to Chase, shaking his head. "Am I crazy?"

"No, Nate..." Chase trailed off, shaking his head. "I don't think you're crazy."

"I think you're crazy," Clay chipped in, nodding his head. "But for other reasons. You're in love, Nathan, and it makes us all do crazy things. My wife is somewhere in Africa right now, and I've looked at plane tickets once every two hours because I miss her."

"I think it's something you need to talk about," Chase said, clearing his throat. "Or you'll end up like Alex and me, we had no discussion about anything that was going on-"

"Would you be quiet, Chase? You and Alex broke up like a year ago," Clay laughed, shaking his head.

"She took a job across the country without telling me first. Am I the only one that thinks that's messed up?" Chase groaned, rolling his eyes, swatting at the ball with his ping pong paddle.

"She didn't tell me either," Clay said, shrugging his shoulders and smirking slightly.

Chase scowled, throwing his paddle in Clay's direction, "I hate when you bring that up."

"I know, that's why I do it," Clay chuckled, looking over at Nathan and shaking his head. "Does Chase throwing a fit and throwing his racket at me count as it being my turn now?"

"I'd say so," Nathan chuckled, bouncing the ball on his own paddle, flipping it from side to side in his hand.

Clay jumped up to his feet, patting Chase on the shoulder as they passed, grinning over at Nathan. "You can't just play it safe the whole time, Nathan. She wanted you to get your shit together, not change everything about yourself."

"I know, I just don't want to do anything to mess it up. I'm worried if I push too much, she'll pull back," Nathan sighed, shaking his head. "I just don't want to change her, because I love her the way she is."

"Nathan, when I met Quinn... She was engaged to someone else, you know that right? I could've pulled back, and I probably should have... But if I never took a chance then look at everything I would have missed out on," Clay said, gesturing around. "Well- we're in Chase's apartment so this doesn't really support my speech, but, whatever."

Chase looked at him, shaking his head, "Hey, my apartment is a lot cleaner now since you stop leaving you crap here," He chuckled, falling down on the couch.

"Anyways, it took me one month to realize that I was in love with her, another month for her to realize she was in love with me, and then we dated for a few months, got engaged, and we were married a few months later," Clay said, nodding his head and letting out a deep breath. "If it feels right, it won't feel rushed, Nathan."

"I just want the record to show that this is not what I want you to do," Chase chimed in, holding up his hand. "I liked it when you were a jackass drunk that kept my bar in business."

"Shut up, Chase," Nathan laughed, looking over and him and smacking the ball over to Clay. "I just think it's a big step, y'know? I haven't even told her how I really feel about her..."

"Nathan, be honest... What are you even still doing here?" Clay asked him, raising his eyebrows. "Seriously, man... Do you like living in New York? You followed me here."

"You forced me here," Nathan responded, sighing softly and looking at him, setting down the paddle in his hand. "Look..." He began, looking down and letting the ball that Clay had just returned hit him in the chest. "I need her way more than she needs me. It's obvious, right?"

"Yeah," Clay responded, looking over at Chase, who was nodding as well.

"But that doesn't mean you want her way more than she wants you," Chase added, standing up and walking over to the blue table, flattening his hand over it.

"I just don't think she's in love with me, simple as that..." Nathan said, shaking his head. "Maybe at one point she was, but I don't think she's at the point that I'm at."

"That doesn't mean you can't take chances, Nathan. You want to move to North Carolina. You're not asking her to move in with you, you're not asking her to marry you, or spend every moment at your side. You just want to be closer to her, and you have nothing going for you here," Clay said, letting out a deep breath.

"I've been feeling really... Confident lately, y'know? But now I feel like the rug is about to be snatched out from under me," Nathan chuckled, sighing and shaking his head. "I was there with her last weekend, and it just felt right. I just feel so different when I'm around her."

"If Quinn was home, she'd be giving you the exact advice that I'm giving you now," Clay said, stepping around the table and resting his hand on Nathan's shoulder. "Take a chance, Nathan."

"I have to call Rachel," Nathan said suddenly, looking at his friends quickly.

"What?" Clay asked, raising his eyebrows and glancing over at Chase.

"Her name is Haley, Nate..." Chase joked, nodding at him and giving him a thumbs up.

"No, you idiot... I have to call Rachel," Nathan said again, grabbing his phone and car keys from the window sill, nodding at his friends. "Thanks, guys. I'll talk to you later," He said, nodding at them.

"Wait, Nate, you're my ride-" Clay groaned, watching him head out of the room.

"You'll figure it out, bye!" Nathan laughed, rushing out of Chase's apartment.

xxxx

Nathan smoothed his hand over his jeans, letting out a deep breath.

He could do this. He wasn't going to let himself talk to Haley about taking the step of moving to Tree Hill without doing this, because he knew she wouldn't let him all the way in until he did.

And it was the right thing to do.

He picked up his phone and searched through it until he found her name, looking over at the clock. It was still pretty early in California, so hopefully she had not gotten into anything too crazy yet.

He tapped on the call button, holding the phone to his ear.

After what seemed like forever, she finally picked up the phone.

"I don't have time to deal with you today, Nathan."

Nathan cleared his throat, pushing his hand through his hair. "No need to be nasty, Rachel..." He said, biting his tongue lightly.

"There is a need to be nasty, you were screaming at me last time I saw you and I just don't feel like listening to it again," Rachel responded, her voice hostile.

"That's not why I called you," He defended himself quickly, focusing on keeping his mind clear so he didn't do exactly what she just said.

"What? Haley broke your little heart and now you're trying to get with me? Save it, Nathan, I'm not interested anymore..." Rachel said, letting out an annoyed sigh.

"Would you stop interrupting me?" Nathan grumbled, rolling his eyes and throwing his head back, staring up at the ceiling.

"Stop taking such long pauses, and maybe I would," Rachel returned.

He could hear the smirk in her voice when she said that, and it honestly set him off a little bit. But he needed to keep his cool so he could say what he needed to say, then go see Haley.

"Look Rachel, I honestly don't care-" He stopped himself before he said the remainder of his sentence, sucking in another deep breath. "I want to apologize to you."

"Oh," She said, clearing her throat.

After she didn't say anything else for a few seconds, Nathan took it as the hint that it was his turn to talk again.

"I've been blaming you for something that isn't your fault," He said quietly, squeezing his eyes shut. "I guess... I don't, Rach... I feel like it's my fault that my mom died, and I'm angry about it. I just needed someone to take my anger out on, and you were the best option- the easiest option."

"But even before your mom died, you were still pissed at me," Rachel said quickly, letting out a deep breath.

"My dad was murderer, Rachel," Nathan said quickly, "I was pissed at everyone."

"We had that summer, and you were fine..." She trailed off.

"But then I found out you did something seriously stupid, okay? It made sense for me to be mad at you then, but I'm almost twenty-four, not eighteen anymore. It's time for me to get over it. And you don't deserve to be treated the way that I treated you in your own home," Nathan said, blinking his eyes open and looking at the wall in front of him. "I'm sorry, Rachel."

It was quiet for a few seconds, before Rachel let out a deep breath.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry too, Nathan..." She told him.

"Thank you, Rachel. And I forgive you," Nathan said simply, nodding slowly.

"And I'm sorry that I was blatantly flirting with you in front of your girlfriend," Rachel said, clearing her throat.

"I'm sorry for that one too," Nathan chuckled, shaking his head and letting out a deep breath. "Really, Rachel... I don't think I realized how stupid I was being, I just needed to let my anger out. That was the first time I'd been back to my house since my mom's funeral, and it was around the time she died... Everything was piling up in my head and you were the one I exploded on. I'm sorry."

"I forgive you," She responded, letting out a deep sigh. "Can I ask why you never told anyone?"

"It didn't matter. Keith was already dead, my dad was already in prison, and my mom was already insane. Lucas would've just been upset anyways, so there was no point," He told her, shaking his head and looking down. "Plus, I figured you'd suffered enough by missing out on all this," He joked, smirking slightly.

"All ten seconds," Rachel responded quickly, laughing.

It was quiet again for a few more seconds, both of them trying to figure out what to say.

"Thank you for calling me to apologize, Nathan," Rachel said quickly, letting out a deep breath. "I kind of have to go though."

"Yeah, of course. Well, let me know if there's anything I can do for you. Thanks for not hanging up on me," Nathan chuckled, scratching his neck lightly.

"It wasn't easy. See you later, Nate," She hummed softly.

"Bye, Rachel..." He said, hanging up the phone and clearing his throat.

He looked down at his phone a few seconds later, grinning slightly. He found Haley's name in his contact list, raising his phone to his ear.

She picked up on the second ring, and she could hear the smile in her voice.

"Hey, you," Haley hummed out.

"Hey, beautiful. How was your day?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows.

"Long," She laughed, "Better now. What about you?"

"I've been doing some thinking. What do you say I meet you at your place tonight?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows and clearing his throat.

"Right now?" She questioned him.

"Yeah, I think there's a flight that takes off in an hour. I miss you, and I want to see you," He told her, letting out a deep breath.

"You know I just saw you two days ago, right?" She asked him, laughing quietly.

"Yeah, but I'm not seeing the problem," He chuckled, pushing his hand through his hair.

"Well, if you don't mind the flight, then I definitely don't mind you coming over here," Haley hummed out, letting out a deep breath. "You're crazy, Nathan."

"For you," Nathan hummed, standing up and letting out a deep breath. "So I'll see you in a few hours?"

"Yeah, I'll try and stay awake for you," She teased him. "Stay safe, Scott. I'll see you in a few hours."

xxxx

Nathan pushed his hand through his hair, shutting the door to the car he'd just gotten out of, walking to the window, handing the driver some money and glancing up at the sky as it started to rain.

How appropriate, it always seemed to rain when he was about to make some profound statement to her.

He just had to get the fact that he wanted to move to Tree Hill to be closer to her out without admitting he was in love with her.

Well shit, he should've brought her flowers or something. He was horrible at this damn romance thing and it bothered the hell out of him.

He eyed the flowers that were planted outside of her apartment complex, shaking his head.

Last time he did that, it did not go over well.

He ran his hand through his hair, looking up at the dark sky once again. He wiped the raindrops off his cheeks, heading up the stairs and letting out a deep breath.

He stopped when he approached her apartment, a confused look forming on his face. He leaned forward, pressing his ear to the door at the sound of her laughing, followed by a male voice.

Who the hell could that be?

At like ten o'clock at night, no less.

He felt his blood pressure rise, breathing in a slow deep breath to calm himself down. He wasn't going to overreact. He was calm. He didn't even know who was in there, it could be her brother. Hell, it could be his brother.

...That would be really weird if it was, but maybe he and Brooke stopped by. If they were still dating or whatever.

He really needed to call Lucas.

He shook his head to bring his thoughts back on track. Who was the guy in Haley's apartment?

Well, shit... He was never going to find out by just sitting here, listening to them laugh.

He raised his fist, and knocked on the door loudly, standing up straight and puffing out his chest a bit.

Haley pulled open the door, smiling brightly up at him. "Nathan! That was actually quicker than I thought. Your flight must have beat the storm..." She said, stepping forward and pulling him into a hug.

Nathan hugged her tightly, his eyes quickly landing on the curly haired guy that was sitting at the bar, looking at him.

That wasn't her brother, and it wasn't his brother. Shit.

"How was your flight?" She asked him, smiling brightly, laying her hand on his chest.

"Good," He responded, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead.

"Well, come in..." She hummed, grabbing onto his wrist and tugging him inside slowly.

Nathan offered the guy a small nod, glancing down at her grip on his wrist.

She was being affectionate, which was a good sign. He didn't need to stress about this guy. Hopefully not.

Haley looked over as the guy stood up, glancing between him and Nathan quickly. She gestured over at him, smiling again.

"Oh, right! Sorry. Nathan, this is Jake."


	32. Chapter 32

**Jake is just brief in this chapter, but he'll be in the next chapter more!**

 **Chapter 32**

This guy in front of him did not look like the same guy that Haley used to have a picture with sitting on her desk.

He was fit, hair done messy on purpose, facial hair that he dreamed he could have.

Shit.

And this was his girlfriend's pen pal, or whatever it was called.

Her "one that got away" as he friends would tease her.

Dammit to hell. Even he could tell this guy was at least a nine, maybe a ten. He had the whole dreamy look going on, white t-shirt, blue jeans. Looking like he's straight out of a romantic comedy where the girl is dating a chump right before she meets the love of her life.

He'd used the boy next door analogy when she was looking at houses, but now he felt like he was living it. Gorgeous girl dates the jerk but then finds out her dream man was her best friend the whole time.

"Jake, this is my boyfriend, Nathan," Haley hummed, bringing Nathan from his thoughts.

"Nice to meet you," Jake said, offering him an award-winning smile.

Shit, this guy looked like he was right out of a magazine.

"Hey, you too," Nathan said, nodding back at him, looking down at Haley.

"Jake dropped by and surprised me. I had no idea he was even in town," Haley gushed, smiling up at Nathan.

"Yeah, well my parents do like to see my daughter every once and awhile," Jake joked, crossing his arms and standing up. "But I can get out of your hair."

"Don't worry about it man, really," Nathan said quickly, looking down when he felt Haley move into his side.

"Actually, Jake... How about I call you later? I love seeing you, you know that, but-"

"I know when I'm being a third wheel," Jake joked, winking at her and grinning. "Maybe we can meet up for dinner tomorrow? I'm in town for the rest of the week. I was just driving past and I wanted to stop by, and say hello. I honestly didn't even think you'd answer the door, I thought you'd be asleep as soon as the stars hit."

"Funny. Sounds perfect," Haley hummed, nodding at him. "It was really great seeing you, Jake. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Yeah, don't have too much fun, kid..." Jake said, tapping his knuckles against her jaw teasingly. "It was nice meeting you, Nathan."

"Oh, yeah... You too," Nathan said quickly, waving at Jake and letting out a deep breath, watching Haley lead him over to the door.

He didn't even think he was jealous because of Haley's connection with the guy. She didn't seem into him that way, but of course he'd only spent two minutes with them together. Maybe he was just jealous because... Well... He'd never really felt insecure with his looks, but when Haley was spending time with Mr. Perfect face, teeth, body, and personality, it was hard not to feel a little insecure.

He looked down when Haley moved over to him, her hands coming to rest on his sides.

"Want to tell me what you're doing here at this hour when you know I have to work tomorrow?" She asked him, batting her eyelashes up at him.

He smiled down at her, kissing her forehead, letting his arms wrap around her tightly. "So that's the infamous Jake Jagelski, huh? Your number one guy, your 'my heart will always be with him?' The Ross to your Rachel?"

"I'd rather use Chandler and Monica, I don't know if I support Ross and Rachel. I go back and forth," She chuckled, standing on her toes and pressing a kiss to his chin. "That is the infamous Jake Jagelski, but I wouldn't say the other two are accurate."

"I'm just teasing," He chuckled, rubbing his hands over her back, resting his chin on her head. "I'm here because I missed you, Haley James."

She smiled, hugging him tightly to her, sucking in a deep breath. "I missed you too, Nathan. Crazy, isn't it? How can only a couple days apart can seem like so long?"

"I'm happy to hear you say that," He said, nuzzling his nose into her hair and closing his eyes, letting out a slow, deep breath. "Do you maybe want to go for a walk?"

Haley raised her eyebrows, looking up at him curiously. "In the rain?"

"Yeah, why not? I know you have to work tomorrow so we don't need to stay out long-"

"Let's do it," Haley said, taking a step back and grabbing onto his hand. "Let's do something spontaneous- well, this is about as crazy I can get on a school night..."

"I'll take it," He laughed, kissing her forehead, squeezing her hand lightly. "Do you want to get a jacket?"

"I think I'll be alright," She said, nodding at the door. "Lead the way, Scott..." She said softly.

"Okay," He responded, grinning down at her, heading towards her door and pulling it open.

She dropped his hand to link her arm through his, walking down the stairs and out of the roof provided by her apartment building.

"This is so fun, Nathan!" She hummed, turning and looking up at him.

"We just stepped outside, baby..." He laughed, watching as she dropped his arm and began to skip around the parking lot.

"Oh, hush. Nathan, there's nothing better than a rainstorm," She hummed, turning and looking at him. "Correction, there's nothing better than dancing in a rainstorm."

"Wait just a second..." He trailed off, groaning as she grabbed onto his hand, tugging him over to her.

"So, are you going to make me as happy as I can be?" She asked him, squinting her eyes as she looked up at him to try and stop the rain from falling in them.

"I think you already know the answer to that," He said, shaking his head and hooking one arm around her waist, beginning to dance her around the parking lot very ungracefully.

Haley laughed loudly, gripping onto his shoulder tightly, throwing her head back, squeezing her eyes shut.

Nathan couldn't help the grin on his face at how much she was enjoying this. This had not been part of the plan, really his plan was just to walk down the street and tell her he wanted to move to Tree Hill. But how could he say no the her? How could he deny anything when she said it would make her happy? How could he still fall more and more in love with her every damn second?

He'd give anything to know what the thoughts going through her head were.

Haley laughed again as Nathan spun her and dipped her down, his grip on her tight.

After spending the back half of last week together, and then having him leave on Sunday, she'd missed him. Their time together had done so much more than reassure her of their relationship.

She felt like things were on track again. Things were falling into place. He'd consumed her every thought once again, and it wasn't with worry, but with desire. Desire to see him, to feel his arms around her, listen to him talk. And her feelings were being damn urgent.

It was so weird because for years she wanted Jake Jagelski to show up to her house and surprise her, but when he finally did, as soon as Nathan showed up, she wanted him to leave. She wanted to spend time with Nathan, even though she'd just seen him, and she was sure he'd be alright with spending time with Jake, but she wanted it to be just the two of them.

And now he was doing something that no man had ever done for her, even though she'd always wanted it. He was dancing in the rain with her. He was laughing, and smiling, spinning her around. He was stepping out of his comfort zone and doing something he'd probably never do for anyone else.

She looked up at him, smiling at the way he eyes seemed to be sparkling as he looked up her. She wasn't sure if it was the moon, or if it was just him, but she loved it. She couldn't stop herself from halting their quick movements, her hands sliding up to cup the sides of his neck, pulling him down and kissing him deeply, standing up on her toes.

Nathan's arms wrapped around her waist easily, pulling her body tightly against his, feeling her shiver lightly.

"Cold?" He mumbled, parting from her briefly before kissing her again.

"Quite the opposite," She informed him, sliding one hand into his hair. "That's what you do to me..." She said softly, curling her arms around his neck.

"I love... This..." He whispered, his arms hooking around her back, kissing her briefly.

He felt his heart tug at his desire to tell her how much she meant to him, but he was unable to follow through with it.

The rain was soaking them both to the bone, yet for some reason, neither of them cared.

Haley laughed, looking over as she heard some thunder booming in the sky, brushing her fingers over his neck lightly. She kissed him again, her eyes fluttering shut.

Nathan smiled against her lips, inwardly rolling his eyes at the two of them. It was odd how they'd ended up outside somehow, soaking wet when they very easily could've stayed inside.

"You're kissing me like you have a secret," She hummed, pulling her lips from his, dropping back down onto her heels.

"Maybe I do," Nathan hummed, removing one hand from his neck, spinning her around, smirking slightly, swaying her lightly in the rain.

"Do tell," She responded, looking up at him, resting her other hand on the crook of his neck.

"I talked on the phone with Rachel today, and I apologized to her," He informed her, a small smile forming on his face.

Haley raised her eyebrows, scratching the nail on her thumb lightly over his skin, "You did? How did it go?"

"I think it went well. I apologized, she apologized," He said quickly, letting out a deep breath.

"I'm proud of you, baby..." Haley hummed out, standing on her toes briefly, pressing a kiss to his jaw.

"Thank you," He responded, brushing his hand over her back. "Since I've been working hard on myself, and I've read the book, and talked to Rachel... I was wondering if I could suggest something."

Haley nodded her head, stopping their movements, looking up at him. "Absolutely, Nathan."

He shifted slightly, letting out a deep breath and looking at the cars all around them, before his gaze finally landed on her again.

"I want to move here," He blurted out, dropping his hands from her waist and pushing them through his hair.

"You want to move to Tree Hill?" She asked him slowly, clearing her throat.

"Yeah, I do. I like it here and I like being close to you," He said, nodding down at her, tugging his t-shirt collar lightly. "What, um, what do you think?"

"Is that really what you want, Nathan?" She questioned, crossing her arms and raising her eyebrows.

"Yes, Haley. I like it here," He responded, gesturing around. "I like that it's comfortable, and I like that I can go somewhere without it taking an extra hour due to traffic. Most importantly, I like being around you and I'm tired of the long distance thing," He told her. "So yeah, I want to move to Tree Hill. But if you don't want me to-"

"I would love to have you here, Nathan," She cut him off quickly, stepping closer to him, brushing her fingers through his hair. "I feel like we're getting stronger, Nathan. Yes. I want you here."

"You do?" He asked her, grinning down at her.

She wiped some raindrops off his cheeks, nodding quickly. "Yeah, baby... I really do," She said, standing on her toes and kissing him softly.

Nathan smiled against her lips, resting his hands on her sides and pulling her up against him once again, closing his eyes tightly.

After standing in the rain a minute longer, Haley looked towards the building again, before back up at Nathan. "Should we go inside?"

Nathan looked at her, before looking at the building. "Yeah," He responded, lifting her up and throwing her over his shoulder, laughing.

Haley gasped in surprise, before laughing loudly. "Nathan!" She laughed, smacking his back lightly. "The view isn't back from up here, though."

"Yeah well it's not too bad from right here either," He chuckled, smirking slightly.

"Be careful on the stairs, I don't want you to slip!" Haley laughed, gripping his soaking t-shirt lightly.

"Haley James, I have so much athletic ability, I could throw you up in the air and catch you," He said, smirking slightly, before pretending to stumble.

"Nathan!" She screeched, gripping onto his shirt tighter. "Don't make me make you out me down!"

"Relax, gorgeous, I'm only teasing you," He laughed, heading back up the stairs, holding into her tightly.

"They can get slick when it's raining," She scolded him, letting out a deep breath.

"I wouldn't drop you, Haley," He laughed, reaching the second floor, before heading down the walkway to her apartment, pushing the door open.

"That got my adrenaline going," Haley joked, looking over her back, laughing quietly.

"You risk taker," He chuckled, looking around. "Where do you want me to put you down?"

"Here is fine," She laughed, looking up at Nathan as he set her down, smoothing her hands over his chest. "I have some of yours clothes here still."

"Awesome, because I really didn't think any cab driver would like it if I got in their car soaking wet," He chuckled, running his hand through his hair.

She looked up at him thoughtfully, biting her lip lightly. She let her hand fall to rest on his stomach, taking a small step closer to him.

"What?" He asked her quietly, staring down at her intently, his hand reaching up to brush some on the mascara line off her cheek.

"Do you want to stay the night?" She asked him quietly, smiling up at him.

"Really?" He asked her quickly, before squeezing his eyes shut at himself. He sounded like a fifteen year old boys. Not sexy.

"Yeah, I want you to," She told him, grinning up at him, pressing herself up against his torso.

"Well, uh, you're in the drivers seat, Hales. So if you want me to stay, then I guess I have to stay," He chuckled, resting his forehead on hers, his hands connecting with her waist.

"I'm going to shower," She said, trailing her fingertips down his chest, leaning forward and pressing a soft kiss to the side of his neck.

"Can I come?" He asked her, pulling her closer to him and looking down.

"Why don't you check and see if I locked the door?" She teased, batting her eyelashes up at him, before grabbing onto his hand, pulling him into her bedroom.

Nathan watched her as she got dry clothes out for her, and then found some for him.

"Here you go, let me grab you a towel..." She hummed, stepping past him.

Nathan eyed her as she looked through the closet, letting out a deep breath. He stepped over to her slowly, tossing the clothes she'd just handed him to the side. He grabbed her by her waist, whipping her around and pressing her up against the wall next to the closet she'd just been looking through.

Haley gasped in surprise, looking up at him and biting her lip, waiting for him to speak.

"I'm going to join you in the shower," He told her, stepping closer to her, leaning down and kissing the shell of her ear lightly, smirking at the sound of her breath catching in her throat. "And then I'm going to join you on the couch, in your bedroom, on the kitchen counter... Everywhere."

She felt herself turn into a puddle, unable to hold back the grin that formed on her face. She had not been expecting this when he called and told her he'd been coming, but it was completely welcome. She'd been guiding them along, she'd been the one asking him to take the next move, but it was nice to see him taking control. Sexy.

"Okay," She finally responded, grabbing a towel and shoving it into his chest, before grabbing another one for herself. She laughed as she found herself being thrown over his shoulder once again, rolling her eyes. "Eager?"

"Yes," He responded simply, heading into the bathroom quickly.

xxxx

Haley looked over at Nathan as he stared up at the ceiling, brushing her fingers through his thick, dark hair slowly, raising her eyebrows.

"What are you thinking about?" She asked him softly, biting her lip. "How mind blowing all that was? You even convinced me to go at you on the kitchen counter, and I do have to get up in four hours."

He laughed quietly, looking down at her and letting out a deep breath. "How would you rate me?"

She blinked, lifting her head up slowly. "Rate you?"

"Yeah, on a scale of one to ten? What would you rate me?" He asked her, clearing his throat.

"Like... Your personality, your looks? In bed? I'm going to need you to be more specific, Nathan..." She laughed, pressing a kiss to his chin lightly.

He sighed, looking up at the ceiling and shaking his head. "Forget it," He mumbled, hugging her closer to him. "It's stupid."

"Wait a second," She scolded him, tapping her fingers on his chest. "Don't do that. What's up?"

Nathan kept his eyes on the ceiling, but he could feel Haley's gaze on his face.

"I don't know, Haley... Do you think your friend Jake is good looking?" He asked, clearing his throat.

"Why?" She asked him immediately, sighing softly.

"I don't think that you're into him or anything, but... I don't know, he just seems like the whole package. He has the looks, I'm sure he has a great personality..."

Haley sat up slowly, pulling the sheet up with her and looking down at him, frowning. "You said you don't think, but I just want to clarify that I'm definitely not. And sure, Jake is cute, but he's not you."

"I just... This is embarrassing," Nathan groaned, covering his face with his arms. "I just want to be enough. And I just don't feel like I am."

"Trust me, baby..." Haley trailed off, looking down at him. Her hand cupped his face lightly, leaning down and kissing his forehead. "You're all I want, all I've ever wanted..." She whispered, kissing down his forehead to the tip of his nose, before kissing all along his cheeks. "This face... Is the handsomest face I've ever seen," She said softly, tapping his nose. "Your eyes, are the bluest I've ever seen..."

"Haley..." He laughed, shaking his head and smiling slightly. "You don't have to-"

"No, Nathan... You always make me feel beautiful. It's your turn to know the things that I admire about you," She said softly, kissing the corner of his mouth. "Your smile gives me butterflies, but your smirk is sets off a whole zoo," She told him, tracing his lips with her pointer finger, before kissing him deeply.

Nathan relaxed, his hand coming up to rest on her hip, tugging her closer to him.

She kissed him for a short while longer before pulling her lips from his, looking down at him and smiling. She trailed her pointer finger down his neck, leaning her head down and pressing her lips to the crook of his neck.

"Don't even get me started on your body," She laughed, smiling up at him, resting her hand on his chest.

He looked at her, shaking his head and laughing. "Hales..."

"I missed this, Nathan... I missed having you next to me, both clothed and unclothed," She said, winking at him, pressing a kiss to his chest. "I missed this strong chest, and your muscular arms wrapping around me at night."

He smiled, shaking his head, "I get it, you think I'm hot stuff," He laughed, pulling her closer to him.

"Truthfully, if it's what you really want, I can't wait for you to move here," She said softly, kissing his shoulder.

"Really?" He asked her, his smile turning into a grin. "I was worried you wouldn't want me to."

"Well I do," She said, squeezing his bicep. "Let me show you how much I care about you, Nathan. How much I've missed you, how much I want you..." She said softly, biting her lip, looking him over briefly. "How much I need you."

"Haley, you have to work-"

"Nathan, if you're feeling even a little bit insecure, I want to be here to show you that you have nothing to worry about," She said, scratching her fingernails over his stomach lightly, nuzzling her nose into his. "To answer your question, I think you're a ten. A well-rounded ten, in fact."

"You're just saying that," He laughed, shaking his head, looking down at her and grinning.

"I'm not," She argued, kissing his cheek. "We've had our downs, Nathan, but truthfully there is no one I'd rather be with."

"Thank you," He said softly, smiling at her. "I'm sorry, I don't know why I was feeling so insecure."

She pulled him in closer to her, kissing down his neck lightly. "It happens," She said softly, nuzzling her nose against his skin.

"You know, if I move here then I'll probably need a lot of help on my homework once I go back to school," He said, smirking down at her.

She looked up at his face, grinning at him. "Oh, I'd love to help you with your homework. As long as you don't put up too much of a fight."

"Me? Never..." He laughed, pulling her on top of him, hands resting on her hips.

Haley laughed, looking down at him, shaking her head. "You know, I have to be up in a few hours..."

"Yeah, I know..." He said, smirking up at her. "But you do know it's been a couple months since we've had sex, and now that we've crossed that road again, sleep seems pretty insignificant."

She looked down at him, nodding her head. "I guess that makes sense..." She hummed, leaning down and kissing him delicately. She moved her lips to his ear, pressing a soft kiss to the skin beneath it, before whispering. "I'm taking charge though. I have to show my man how sexy I think he is."

"Oh," He choked out, squeezing his eyes shut at her words.

Had she stayed up by his head, instead of kissing down his neck, he was sure the words 'I love you' would have left his mouth.

xxxx

Haley looked over at the sleeping man next to her, a small smile forming on her face. He looked so peaceful. She loved the feeling of his arm crossed over her stomach, even in his sleep he was stroking her side lightly with his fingertips.

Her gaze flicked over to the clock that was lit up on the night stand behind him, sighing softly. She had to get up in about fifteen minutes, and she had gotten no sleep at all.

Nathan had crashed about an hour and a half prior, but she couldn't sleep. She was too busy watching him.

How could she not? He was so cute. She liked watching him sleep, especially when he was doing so peacefully. When he had his nightmares, she liked to be ready to soothe him.

It was amazing how much she felt connected to him. Her heart raced when he so much as glanced at her. Hearing that he was insecure over Jake broke her heart. It was good to know that he didn't feel threatened by her relationship with Jake, but it was devastating to know that Jake was the reason he was feeling insecure.

After all this time, he still couldn't see how amazing he was. How she couldn't stop thinking about him. He still couldn't see that she was in love with him.

Whoa.

Did that thought really just cross her mind?

Her eyes flickered to his face, a small smile forming on her own.

It definitely didn't come as a surprise to her, because he was a dreamboat. But admitting it to herself caused her heart rate to rise.

She slid over to him, rolling onto her side so she was facing him, feeling his arm tighten around her.

Haley reached up, delicately stroking his cheek, leaning forward and pressing a soft kiss to his forehead, pushing his hair up lightly.

She couldn't believe that this man wanted to move to Tree Hill to be close to her. She couldn't believe how handsome he was, and how he made her feel. She couldn't believe how much he'd done over the past couple of months to show her that he was trying to work on himself.

Haley couldn't believe how much she felt it after she admitted to herself that she was in love with him.


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33**

"So, Nathan... What do you do?"

Jake asked him, clearing his throat and raising his eyebrows, looking at Nathan across the table.

Nathan shifted slightly, glancing over at Haley. "I'm between jobs at the moment," He said, nodding his head. "What about you?"

"I'm an elementary school music teacher," Jake said, smiling and nodding. "I think it's the best job in the world. My daughter, not so much."

"What, she doesn't like seeing her daddy at school?" Haley laughed, raising her eyebrows and smiling.

"Shocking, isn't it?" Jake said, shaking his head and rolling her eyes. "You didn't like me much when I taught you to play guitar."

"You were a jerk!" Haley argued, letting out a deep breath. "Frankly, I'm still mad. You deserved my anger."

"You threatened to break my favorite guitar," Jake laughed, leaning back and crossing his arms.

"Yeah, well you threw a tantrum when I tried to teach you how to play piano," Haley grumbled, rolling her eyes.

"You were still bitter and you were going way to fast. It was like ten years ago, Haley, get over it," Jake laughed, shaking his head and grinning at her.

"I won't," Haley hummed out, holding onto Nathan's hand under the table, brushing her thumb lightly over his knuckles. "I have small hands, and Jake was getting annoyed because I couldn't do the bar chords right away," She informed him, smiling. "I can do them now, of course."

Nathan smiled at her, squeezing her head and nodding his head.

He really wanted to hear her play, but he was pretty sure she didn't have a guitar or a piano just lying around her house without his knowledge.

"You still play much?" Jake asked her, smiling and raising his eyebrows at her.

"I don't have a piano or a keyboard at the moment, so I play that if I'm ever at Vivian's house, which is not often. My guitar is at Brooke's house, and it's been there since she went on a date with a musician, and she wanted him to think that she was musical. I've just never brought it back to my apartment," Haley chuckled, rolling her eyes and shaking her head. "I should grab it soon though, or else I'll lose my touch."

"I didn't spend all that time for nothing, I hope," Jake laughed, smiling at her and fake pouting.

"I learned more from YouTube than I did from you, Jagelski. Now I'm a pro," Haley hummed out, shrugging her shoulders.

"I don't believe you. Maybe we should stop at Miss Davis' house and grab it so that I can hear you play again," Jake said, smiling brightly at her and nodding his head.

"Uh, I'll pass," Haley responded, squeezing Nathan's hand lightly and clearing her throat.

"Still doing this, huh Haley?" Jake sighed, shaking his head. "Too shy to play in front of people?"

"Hey," Nathan warned, shaking his head. "Watch it."

"Nathan, it's fine," She assured him, looking over at Jake. "Maybe Brooke still needs it, I don't know..."

"You know that Brooke is dating that author at the moment, I doubt she needs a guitar," Jake hummed out, crossing his arms and grinning at her. "Don't act like she doesn't still tell you everything."

"Fair point," Haley said, dropping the subject and shrugging slightly. "That author is Nathan's brother, Lucas."

"Your brother is Lucas Scott?" Jake asked him, looking over and raising his eyebrows. "Wow."

"Usually that impresses people. I still think the only reason Haley is dating me is to get to him," Nathan joked, smiling over at her.

"Not true!" Haley argued, nudging her elbow into his side and laughing.

"Well, I can't say I'm surprised that Brooke and Haley ended up dating siblings, they were inseparable," Jake laughed, smiling at her. "For the most part."

"Now that's the real reason I'm dating you. It's always been a dream of mine to date siblings with my bestfriend," Haley laughed, nodding at Nathan.

"The truth comes out," Nathan chuckled, pushing his hand through his hair.

She smiled up at him, shrugging her shoulders and looking over at Jake. "So, Jake... Tell me more about your life. I haven't seen you since we were sixteen, you know... An email can only tell me so much."

Jake nodded, lifting up his water and taking a drink, before looking over at her. "Well, the best way to sum up the last few years is by using one word; Jenny," He hummed, smiling brightly. "I know I send pictures, but god, Haley... Just look at her..." He said, pulling out his phone and holding out a picture, a grin forming on his face.

"She's so grown up," Haley said, smiling brightly as she took the phone from him, nodding her head quickly. "She still looks so much like you, just like she did when she was a baby. How old is she now?"

"She's seven," Jake groaned, shaking his head. "I'm not sure where the time has gone. It feels like she's growing up so quickly."

"Wow," She said, handing his phone back over and smiling at him. "She's beautiful, Jake. Really, really gorgeous."

"Thank you so much, Hales," Jake said, smiling at her and letting out a deep breath. "I never thought I'd be here, you know? It's weird how quickly my life changed, but I don't regret anything. There are times when I wish I could've finished out school here, with you guys... But there's no way I would give up Jenny, and the life we've built."

"I don't blame you, it seems pretty great," Haley commented, nodding at her childhood friend. "For what it's worth, you seem a lot happier than you did the last time I saw you."

"What, when I was on the run with my daughter, trying to get away from my crazy ex?" Jake laughed, winking at her.

"I'd say that sums it up," She hummed, nodding at him and laughing.

"Yeah, well things are way different. I'm stable, Nikki is actually a good mom, and Jenny... Wow, I could just gush about her for hours," Jake informed her, grinning and looking down at the table.

"I don't blame you. I would give my life for any of my nieces and nephews, and I'm sure that's only a fraction of what you feel for her," Haley said softly, nodding and letting out a deep breath.

Nathan looked over at Haley, a small smile forming on his face. He was trying to be careful with being overly affectionate in front of her friend, but couldn't help himself when he leaned over to kiss her forehead.

"Can I get you something to drink?" Nathan asked her softly, raising his eyebrows.

"I'm going to cut myself off at two glasses of wine, but I would love some water," Haley said, smiling sweetly at him.

"Sure thing," Nathan responded, standing up and looking over at Jake. "More water?"

"Yeah, if you don't mind," Jake responded, nodding his head.

"Three waters, are we a wild bunch or what?" Nathan laughed, shaking his head and heading towards the bar.

Haley turned towards Jake quickly, raising her eyebrows. "Well? What do you think of him?"

"You want to know what I think of your boyfriend?" Jake asked her, laughing.

"Yeah, I do," She responded, smiling at him.

"I think he seems like a cool guy, but more importantly, he seems very into you," Jake smiled at her, clearing his throat. "And you seem very happy with him."

"I am," Haley said quickly, looking over at Nathan and letting out a deep breath. "When he comes over here, you should say something about basketball. He played in high school and college."

"For Duke, yeah," Jake said, nodding slowly and looking towards Nathan. "I recognize him. He was good."

"I don't understand anything about basketball, really, but I do know that he was great," Haley said, biting her lip and looking over at him.

"Haley James, you must have it so bad!" Jake laughed, shaking his head. "I haven't seen you since I packed up my daughter and left this place all those years ago, and your biggest concern is what I think of your boyfriend."

"I do, I have it so bad, Jake," Haley said, covering her face and shaking her head. "I'm sorry, you're right though. I just want you to like him."

"I think he seems cool, Haley, relax..." Jake laughed, shaking his head. "I've never seen you like this."

"I feel like a teenage girl," She groaned in response, tucking her hair behind her ear. "And I wouldn't normally have kicked you out last night, since it has been so long since I've seen you, but he flew in from New York, and I knew he was coming."

"Hey, I was just stopping by. I was beat anyways," Jake assured her, reaching forward and grabbing onto her hand, giving it a soft squeeze. "I'm happy for you, Haley."

"I'm happy for me too," She laughed, shaking her head and smiling at him. "Any women in your life, Jagelski?"

"As of right now, no," Jake said, shaking his head and sighing softly. "I'm too busy."

"Oh, shut up! I'm a teacher too, and while I don't have a daughter to keep track of, I managed to pick up the best man at my sister's wedding, right after I'd broken up with my ex boyfriend," Haley said, shaking her finger at him. "You can find it anywhere, Jake, at any time."

"Oh, so you find a man and now you have all this wisdom all of the sudden?" He laughed, rolling his eyes.

"I already had my theory, let's just say it was correct," Haley hummed, shrugging her shoulders and scooting over when Nathan slid back into the booth next to her, setting the drinks down in front of each of them.

"So, I heard that you played basketball in high school," Nathan brought up, clearing his throat and looking at Jake.

"Worst team in the state of North Carolina, now introducing, the Tree Hill Ravens," Jake laughed, shaking his head.

"I still think you guys would've been better if you hadn't been forced to leave. You and Skills were building a great base," Haley informed him, shrugging her shoulders.

"Maybe, maybe..." Jake said, shaking his head. "I watched you play against Skills when you were at Duke," He informed Nathan, looking in his direction.

"If he finds out we met, the first thing he's going to do is talk about how he whooped my ass," Nathan groaned, shaking his head.

"That's funny, because I could've sworn Duke won almost every single time you guys played each other," Jake laughed, rolling his eyes. "He's all talk!"

"That's what I think!" Nathan said, looking at Haley and nodding. "I'm starting to like you more and more, Jake. Keep praising Duke, and we might become best friends."

"Sorry man, I'm a UNC fan all the way," Jake said, raising up his hands defensively.

"No!" Nathan groaned, covering his eyes. "I take it back. I feel like I'm about to get struck down for letting positive words leave my mouth about a UNC fan."

"I think Blue Devils are too cocky," Jake hummed out, crossing his arms and leaning back.

"We are, that's what makes us good," Nathan argued, dropping his arm around Haley's shoulders.

"Nothing to be cocky for," Jake said simply, shrugging and grinning at him.

"If you look back at the four years I played ball, Duke crushed it. Even in the games we lost, the Tar Heels scoring percentage was shit. Anyone can get to one hundred points if they shoot a thousand times," Nathan said, shaking his head.

"Hey, whatever you say, Scott," Jake laughed, shaking his head.

Nathan looked over at Haley, laughing. "This really is your best friend from childhood, huh? Any chance you can swap him?"

Haley shook her head, smiling over at Jake. "I don't think so, no. And, for what it's worth... I would have gone to UNC before Duke."

"No," Nathan gasped, laying his hand on his chest. "You don't know what that does to my Blue Devil heart."

"Sorry, honey," She laughed, her grin growing.

He was so cute, arguing with Jake about which basketball team was better. Now it was going to be somewhat of a bedtime conversation, that she could foresee happening for quite awhile, until he'd proven his point that his school was the better one.

It was odd that even though she had not seen Jake in so long, she really couldn't stop focusing on Nathan. The way his laugh made her want to laugh with him. She couldn't stop watching his facial expressions, or become mesmerized by his eyelashes as he blinked. Or that he was defending a school that he no longer attended like his life depended on it.

Jake was not exaggerating when he made the comment about her falling hard, because she was gone. Nathan Scott had done it, officially. He'd consumed every part of her. Even when she was thinking about something else, he was always there. There was no fighting the pride in her heart at the changed man he was sitting next to her, laughing light heartedly with her old friend.

"Okay, okay. Casting aside that you're a Tar Heels fan, what do you think of this?" Nathan asked him, quickly pulling his phone from his pocket, searching on YouTube until he found the desired video of him and Skills, holding it out to Jake.

"Ouch!" Jake winced, looking down at the video. "I remember when this happened! Did he really elbow you in the face?"

"He did!" Nathan said, touching his nose. "It hurt too, and then I got thrown out of the game because I was getting super pissed. My teammates were holding me back and the refs tossed me."

"He has a way of getting out of trouble, it's unfair," Jake laughed, rolling his eyes. "He's a smooth talker."

"I thought I was too, but I'm too much of a hothead, it can be difficult for me to talk my way out of situations like this," Nathan said, shaking his head and looking over at Haley. "You know he elbowed me, right?"

"Nathan, your nose is bleeding, of course he elbowed you," Haley laughed, smiling up at him at his need for her confirmation.

"I just can't figure out how he got away with it when he clearly hit you," Jake said, raising his eyebrows.

"He could've said it was an accident, and I could've gotten my free throws, but do you know what he did instead? He said I punched myself in the face when my hand was coming up to wipe some sweat off!" Nathan groaned, shaking his head. "That's what really pissed me off."

Jake laughed at his comment, "He really is something else, isn't he?" He said, shaking his head. "Every time I talk to him, even if it's just an email, I fall out of my seat laughing. He has crazy things happen to him too."

"Of course he does," Haley laughed, rolling her eyes. "Somehow, everything hilarious that could happen to him, does happen to him. Mouth too, those guys are crazy together."

"Oh, Mouth..." Jake said, shaking his head. "He's not in love with Brooke anymore, right?"

"Oh, no, he's dating Brooke's assistant, Millicent, and they are a perfect match. You know, besides the fact that they live on opposite sides of the country," Haley hummed, smiling at him.

"Good for him," Jake said, letting out a deep breath. "And Skills?"

"For all I know, he could've gotten married in Vegas last weekend. He's crazy," Haley laughed, resting his head on Nathan's shoulder briefly.

"Junk and Fergie?"

"Possibly dating each other? It's hard to tell with those two..." Haley laughed, smiling brightly. "You know what I really can't believe though? You get to have fun with little kids and play music all day, while I wrestle high schoolers and beg them to pass my class so I don't have to deal with them next year."

"I definitely don't envy you for that," Jake laughed, smiling at her and shaking his head. "Still, elementary school kids are tough. You think I like being the one that gets to teach the kids how to play the recorder? Let me tell you, that one is a big hell no."

"Okay, fair point. I love music, but when my niece or nephew shows up to my house yielding a recorder, all rules are lifted and I can say whatever I need to to get them to shut up," Haley joked, smiling and rolling her eyes. "I really don't understand those horrible things."

"Yeah, I sucked at the recorder when I was forced to play it. I never understood the point, and liked playing basketball too much to care about a dumb musical instrument," Nathan chuckled, lifting his arm up from around Haley's shoulder, grabbing onto his water and taking a drink of it.

Haley looked up at him when his arm moved out from behind her, missing the feeling almost immediately. Good lord she was in deep, and she hasn't realized exactly how deep she was until she recognized that she was in love with him. Even the absence of his arm around her made her miss him, but he was sitting right next to her.

As the night bore on, Haley felt her eyes getting droopier as she tried to listen to the conversation Jake and Nathan were having about... Ugh, she really had no idea what it was at this point. They'd gone from basketball, to their favorite music, which she normally would have joined in on, but she was too busy keeping her head up.

"You alright, Haley?" Jake asked her, laughing quietly and raising his eyebrows.

Haley looked up at him and sent him a small smile, "Yeah, I didn't sleep very well last night," She said, sighing softly. "Too busy stressing about the end of the year."

Okay, that wasn't true at all. But he didn't need to know that the reason she only got fifteen minutes of sleep was because she was fooling around with the man next to her all night.

"Our school ended last week," Jake told her, grinning. "If you'd like, I can come give your kids a quick talking to about how they shouldn't make Ms. James' life hard, that stuff," He laughed, shaking his head. "I can be pretty terrifying."

"Oh yeah? I'm sure an elementary school music teacher will have my kids shaking in their seats," Haley chuckled, rolling her eyes. "I'm ready for it to be over. But then I still have summer school, and then I can finally sleep in."

"Just wait until you have kids, sleeping in is a rare occasion," Jake responded, smiling at her an letting out a deep breath. "Well, I will let you get home an go to bed, Hales. I'll be in town for a few more days, and I'd love to see you guys again."

Haley nodded quickly, "Oh yeah, of course. You better," She said, grinning and standing up after Nathan did, walking over to Jake and pulling him into a tight hug.

Jake returned the hug, smiling down at her. "I've missed you, Haley. It's really good to see you."

"You too, Jake," She said, pulling back after a second, letting out a deep breath and turning to Nathan. "Ready?"

Nathan pulled her car keys from his pocket, handing them to her. "Yeah, will you go sit in the car?" He asked her softly.

Haley raised her eyebrows curiously, looking over her should at Jake, who shrugged. She took the keys from him, waving at Jake once more, before heading out to the car.

A few minutes later, Nathan emerged with Jake, laughing quietly. They paused in front of the car to talk for a few more seconds, before Jake waved at Haley, heading over to his own car.

Nathan quickly took the drivers seat, looking over at his sleepy girl friend and smiling. "You can go to sleep, baby."

"I probably will," Haley hummed, raising her eyebrows at him. "What did you guys talk about?"

"I'm embarrassed to say," He admitted, starting up her car, letting his hand find hers, lacing their fingers together.

"Embarrassed?" She frowned at him, shaking her head. "What is it?"

Nathan laughed, rubbing his neck with his free hand, before gripping the steering wheel once again, beginning to drive out of the parking lot.

"Nathan?" She asked him again, clearing his throat. "I won't be able to sleep until you tell me."

"It makes me sound so cheesy," He said, sighing softly and glancing at her. "Some of the things he was saying were kind of clicking in my head like I'd heard them before, his music taste, things like that. Then I realized it was from Peyton, so I talked her up, showed him some Facebook pictures, things like that."

"You really are a match maker, aren't you?" Haley laughed, raising her eyebrows and poking his arm. "It's like you're straight out of a hallmark movie!"

"Shh," He shushed her, dropping her hand and covering her mouth. "Go to sleep, angel."

"You're lucky I am so tired, otherwise I'd keep teasing you," She said, it being muffled by his hand. "Wake me up when we get their. Don't carry me, you've been doing it a lot and I'd hate for you to throw out your back."

"I'll be fine," He chuckled, grabbing ahold of her hand once again.

She smiled at him, raising his hand to her lips and leaving a soft kiss to his knuckles. "Thanks for the fun evening, Matchmaker."

"Oh, be quiet!" He groaned, glaring over at her.

"You're going to stay, right?" She asked him quietly, raising her eyebrows.

He looked over at her briefly and smiled, nodding his head. "Always."


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34**

Nathan stepped into Haley's classroom quietly, frowning at the sight in front of him.

She was sitting at her desk, her face pressed into her hands, breathing slowly.

"Haley?" He asked her quietly when he approached, setting the lunch he'd brought them down on the corner of her desk.

Haley's head snapped up to look at him, quickly jumping up to her feet. "Nathan! What are you doing here?" She asked him quickly, throwing her arms around his neck.

"I came to help you move," He chuckled, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist, holding her against him. "What's wrong?"

"You missed Quentin by about two minutes. He's mad because he's not passing with a high enough grade, so he has to take summer school," She said softly, squeezing him tighter. "I can't believe you came all the way here to help me move out and in."

"Just out. There's no way I'm helping you move in," He joked, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I missed you, baby."

"I can't believe how much I missed you," She laughed, standing on her toes and kissing him softly. "Thank you for surprising me, you wonderful man."

"I do what I can," He hummed, looking down at her, gesturing for her to have a seat. When she did, he moved so he was standing behind her, resting his hands on her shoulders lightly, beginning to massage her shoulders and neck. "Only one more week, Haley James. Then you're onto summer school, and then you're done."

"He is going to be so angry," She sighed, closing her eyes and tilting her head forward. "He's been right on the line, and then he just gave up."

"He'll realize it's not your fault, it's his own," Nathan assured her, kissing the top of her head.

"You should probably stop doing that," She said, letting out a deep breath. "I think it feels a little too nice at the moment, but feel free to start it up again later tonight."

Nathan glanced towards the door, leaning down and pressing a kiss to her neck, before departing from her, stepping around her desk, pulling up a chair to sit in front of her. He grinned at her from across the desk, winking. "I will," He told her, humming softly.

"You're so sweet, Nathan Scott. Helping me move in and all," She said, reaching her hand over and grabbing onto his. "I'm more excited to see you though than I am for your help."

"I figure it's a win-win situation," He said, shrugging. "Well, win-lose for me, win-win for you," He joked, smiling at her. "You get to see me, and you get some extra help moving in."

"Win-win-win, actually. I get to see those biceps in action too," She laughed, squeezing his hand, before grabbing the styrofoam to go box off of the top, setting it in front of her.

"I get to see your biceps in action too," He said, smirking slightly. "Will I be impressed?"

"Disappointed, most likely," She laughed, shrugging her shoulders. "I roped my friends Junk and Fergie into helping me, so you get to meet them too."

"Nice. Looks like I'm meeting all of the Haley James crew," He hummed, nodding his head. "You don't want to meet my high school friends. I think Clay and Chase are the best possible friends I have that you can meet, and even then, it's iffy."

"Peyton is nice," Haley said, shrugging her shoulders lightly.

"You talk to her, don't you?" He groaned, shaking his head.

"She had some questions about Jake," She told him, laughing. "Relax, I haven't dug up any dirt on you yet."

"If you want to know how awful I was, talk to her. Luke's book doesn't do me justice," He said, sighing softly. "I was the worst boyfriend I could possibly be to her. And of course, Prince Charming had to be my brother."

"I think you're pretty great," She hummed, smiling at him. "I mean, you did surprise me when I was having a bad day, and made it a hell of a lot better."

"I was going to be waiting on your bed naked, but I figured that anyone could be coming into your apartment," He laughed, shaking his head. "Most people move on Saturdays, Haley..."

"My apartment in a mess right now, and my original plan was to move in on Saturday, but I'm so excited that I can't wait," She said, clapping her hands together.

"You settled on this house, and you know it," He pointed out, looking over at her.

"Shh, I don't want to talk about that. I'm going to be fine without some of the things on my list," She said simply, waving her hand. "How's your house hunting?"

"Do you think that motel would just let me buy a room?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows. "My house was just barely put up, and I've already had people come walk through it."

"That's good, isn't it?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah, until I realized that we never had sex in my house," He said, smirking at her and raising his eyebrows suggestively.

Haley laughed, rolling her eyebrows. "Sounds like a conversation we should save for after work, hm?"

"Deal," He said, winking at her, before looking down at his food.

After a minute, a man poked his head in the room and cleared his throat.

"Haley," He said, nodding in her direction.

"Principal Turner," Haley said quickly, looking over at him and smiling slightly. "How can I help you?"

"Coach Carson just quit on me," Principal Turner said, shaking his head and letting out a deep breath. "Which means if I don't find a replacement soon, I'll be stuck running a basketball camp for the next month, or canceling it all together."

"Oh, that's horrible!" Haley said, frowning at him, her gaze momentarily flickering over to Nathan, before back to Principal Turner.

"I really don't want to be stuck coaching, and I know the friends that you used to hang around with enjoyed playing the game, so I was wondering if Antwon Taylor was planning on rolling through town for a few weeks?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows.

"Not to my knowledge, no. But I can get in touch with him and see. When do you need an answer by?" She asked him, clearing her throat.

"Preferably by the end of the school year, if you don't mind. I'll keep looking too, but thank you, Haley. Let me know what you find," Principal Turner said, quickly leaving the room.

Haley looked at Nathan instantly, raising her eyebrows and nodding her head.

"No," Nathan said quickly, leaning back and shaking his head.

"Nathan," She said, batting her eyelashes at him, smiling slightly.

"I won't do it," He responded, looking down at his food.

"You'd have your own private office," She told him, leaning forward, resting her elbows on her desk. "We could see each other more often."

"No, Haley," He said, standing up slowly. "Can I get the keys to your house and apartment? I'll go pick up your moving truck, and start moving some of the smaller things over."

Haley sighed, grabbing her keys out of her purse and handing them to him. "Consider it, Nathan."

"Drop it, Haley," He said, walking around, kissing her forehead and taking each set of keys. "See you in a little bit."

"Okay," She said, touching his hand briefly. "I'll probably be out of here around four."

"See you then," He said, picking up his half empty to-go box. "Bye, baby..." He said, hurrying out of the room.

Haley sighed softly as she watching him leave, touching her fork around her remaining food slowly. She probably should've brought that up at a different time, maybe she would've gotten a less 'get the hell out to avoid the conversation' reaction.

xxxx

"I'm just saying, Nathan... I think you could have a lot of fun doing it. You could stay with me until you find a place of your own," Haley said, biting her lip and sitting on the arm of the couch that had been placed against the wall earlier while Junk and Fergie had still been here.

"I don't feel comfortable doing it," Nathan responded, holding up the side table and clearing his throat. "Where do you want this?"

She pointed over to the opposite side of where she was sitting. "Right there. There should be a matching one that goes on the other side as well."

"You need more furniture," He commented, looking around the semi-empty room.

"Don't remind me," She chuckled, crossing her arms and pulling her hair up into a bun on top of her head easily. "You'd be able to keep an eye on Quentin for me."

"I don't want to do it, Haley," He grumbled, setting it down and letting out a deep breath. He walked outside, before returning again with a side table identical to the one he'd just put down, setting it where she directed.

He walked outside once again, returning carrying some boxes that were labeled 'dishes' on them. He headed into the kitchen, setting it on the floor.

Haley stood up to her feet, sighing softly and looking at him. This was an argument they'd been having since Junk and Fergie had left. She thought it would be a great step for him to take, but he strongly disagreed.

"I saw the way your eyes lit up when you talked to Jake about basketball the other night, Nathan. I saw how you changed when you shot a free throw back in California," Haley said, looking at him and letting out a deep breath. "I don't think it's fair that you won't let yourself do something that's going to make you happy."

"I like being miserable," Nathan said simply, walking outside to get more boxes.

"I just don't see how you can love it so much but hate it at the same time?" Haley asked him, as he walked back inside, bending over to open up the box he'd previously set down in the kitchen.

Okay, it wasn't uncommon for Nathan to check out Haley's ass when she bent down. But when her shirt rode up a little bit, and he saw it, he just about dropped the box in his arms.

He glanced down at the label on it, letting out a sigh of relief that he didn't drop it, considering it was full of glass cups.

His eyes moved quickly back to the shocking location, his jaw dropping slightly.

Sitting just about the waistband of her jeans, was the dark, permanent number '23.' Inked above her ass. Permanently. Forever.

"What?" She asked him as she stood up, setting the plates on the counter top.

Nathan set the box down a little too quickly, staring at her with wide eyes.

"Be careful with that," She scolded him, shaking her head and raising her eyebrows in confusion. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"What the hell is that?" He found his voice, clearing his throat.

Haley blinked, looking behind her at the plates she'd just set down, shrugging and turning to look at him, "They're my plates?"

"Turn around again," He demanded, taking quick strides to get over to her.

Haley's brain clicked in realization. Honestly, she'd completely forgotten about what she'd done a couple of days ago, her heart racing at the fact that he'd seen it, even though she'd tried to hide it from him.

She really didn't know how she'd ended up at the tattoo parlor, getting a tramp stamp of his jersey number. It had just... Happened. And it felt like the right thing to do once she'd arrived there.

"Haley," He responded, clearing his throat and staring down at her. "Let me see."

She sighed softly, turning around slowly, resting her hands on the countertop, looking down slowly.

Nathan reached forward slowly, grabbing onto the hem of her shirt. He lifted it up slowly, staring down at the numbers placed neatly on her back.

He wasn't quite sure how to respond to this. Given their small little spat they were in at the moment, part of him wanted to respond in anger. But... Wow.

He brushed his fingertips along it slowly, noticing the goosebumps that formed on her skin.

"Why did you do this?" He asked her, frowning slightly.

She looked over her shoulder at him, shrugging slightly. "I wanted to."

"Why?" He asked her, blowing out a slow, deep breath.

"Because I can do whatever I want, Nathan. You don't get to be mad about this, okay? It's my body. So what? Maybe I got a tattoo with your old jersey number, but maybe it's my favorite number. Maybe I got it because it reminds me of you, I don't know. But you don't get to be upset about this," She began, shaking her head and letting out a deep breath, before she began speaking again. "And you know what, I really don't think it's fair that you're giving me the third degree over a number. Plus- you love basketball! I can see it in your eyes, I'm not asking you to force yourself to go up against five guys, I'm asking you to try to coach a team..."

She continued to ramble on, but the words were just entering one ear and out the other as quickly as she was talking.

"I'm not this guy," He said, touching her tattoo again carefully just in case the skin was still tender.

"Yeah, well I was thinking of you and I wanted to do something special, and this was the first thing that popped into my mind. I like the way it turned out, Nathan. I don't know what's going to happen in the future between us, but I'd like to think that we could go somewhere, and this is just something that I wanted to do, okay? I swear, sometimes you can be so-"

"So what?" He asked her, scowling slightly.

"Stuck in the past," She said, pushing his hand away, feeling her shirt fall to cover her skin once again, keeping her eyes on the plates in front of her.

"Says the girl that got my jersey number tattooed on her ass. I don't even play basketball anymore, Haley..." He said, looking at the back of her head.

"Yeah, well I think it's sexy, and I was worried how you would react, but I think if you would just let go of all your anger towards yourself, and open up to being involved in basketball again, you'd think it was sexy too," She said, grabbing a stack of plates, walking over to the cupboards and yanking them open.

"I love you."

Nathan froze in his spot, instantly wanting to cover his mouth. He had not meant to say that, nope. He was going to say some snide remark, and of course that had to come out instead.

But it felt like a weight had been lifted off his chest. It felt so good to finally say that out loud, because he'd been holding it in for months. Every time he was with her, he almost told her, but he forced himself to stop.

Haley was frozen in place, her hand in the cupboard still, before she turned around quickly and looked up at him.

"What?" She asked him quietly, raising her eyebrows.

"I love you, Haley," He said again, taking slow steps towards her. "I'm in love with you, and I've known it for a few months now, since we went to California. And it scares the hell out of me, but there it is."

"There it is..." She said softly, staring up at his face, stepping towards him, her hand coming to rest on his chest. "I love you too, Nathan," She told him, smiling slightly.

"You do?" He asked her, a grin forming on his face, letting out a breath of relief.

"Yeah, I do..." She said, smoothing her hand up his chest, letting it rest on the back of his neck, smiling up at him. "I love you," She repeated to him, letting out a deep breath. "That's why I got it. I don't know, you're just so stuck in my head and I wanted a piece of you with me at all times."

He rested his forehead on her's, closing his eyes and taking her face lightly in both hands, "I was so scared you wouldn't feel the same, I didn't even mean to say that," He said softly.

"I'm glad you did," She responded, standing on her toes and finally connecting their lips, her fingertips lightly caressing the back of his neck.

Nathan melted into her, holding stepping forward until she was pressed against the countertop, leaning into her body.

"Say it again," She whispered, gripping his t-shirt in her hand, giving it a light tug.

He stared down at her intently, smiling and nodding his head. "I'm in love with you, Haley James."

She smiled, biting her lip and looking up at him. "That'll do it," She finally said, hopping up onto the countertop, wrapping her legs around his waist. "That's probably all you'll need to say to me to get me undressed for the next two weeks or so," She laughed, gripping his shoulder.

Nathan chuckled, beginning to kiss a line from the corner of her jaw to where her collar bones met, resting his hands on her thighs.

"I love you too, Nathan," She told him, her eyelids fluttering, tugging on his shirt a bit harder.

He looked at her, his teeth brushing against her skin as he smiled. "That makes me feel like I can do anything," He informed her, winking up at her.

"You can," She said, sliding one of her hands into the hair on the back up his head, nudging it forward until he started to place kisses along her skin again.

"I believe this is what they call 'christening the new place' right?" He asked her, smirking slightly.

"We better get started, hm? This place has a lot more rooms than my apartment did," She said, looking at him and raising her eyes.

"You have like six things in there," He chuckled, "When you move, Haley, you're supposed to buy more stuff."

"Hm, is furniture all that necessary?" She asked him, laughing quietly.

"You know, I think in this case, it's not..."

"You're right."

xxxx

Nathan pushed the sheet down slowly, looking at the two-digit number on Haley's back, letting out a deep breath.

It had only taken him a matter of minutes after she'd pointed out that it was supposed to be sexy, to realize that it was hot as hell.

It was like he'd glance at it, and instantly his libido would increase. That, with the combination of her whispering in his ear how she loved him, made him feel like he lasted about ten seconds in each room they ventured in to. Haley was the most naturally sexy person ever. She looked great with make up, she looked great without make up. He felt like she could be doing laundry, and he'd have her pinned up against the dryer because she just looked so good doing it.

He let out a deep breath to calm his elevating blood pressure, fingers lightly trailing over the new addition to the small of her back, before meeting her tired gaze.

"Sexy, hm?" She asked him, scrunching up her nose, brushing her cheek against his chest.

"You're definitely right about that one," He responded, chuckling quietly and looking up at the ceiling.

"Hey," She said softly, lifting her head up off his chest once again, tapping her fingers on his stomach. "I didn't get it because I want you to be some amazing basketball player again, okay? I got it because it's a big part of who you are, and it reminds me of you."

"I know," He said, smiling slightly. "It's all I was."

"No, you're more than just your basketball stats, Nathan. You've always been more than basketball, Nathan. It makes me so sad when you say things like that," She said, biting her lip.

He chuckled quietly, squeezing her close to him, letting out a deep breath. "I'm just now rebuilding myself, and it's thanks to you."

She shook her head, kissing his jaw lightly. "You're amazing, Nathan. I just wish you could see it..."

He smiled, shrugging his shoulders. "Hey, I have a giant ego. I know how great I am."

She grinned, pinching his side to watching him squirm and shove her hand away quickly, before settling her head back on his chest. "Okay, well if you ever need some ego boosting, you know who to call. I could gush my love for you for days."

He laughed, tracing his fingers up and down her spine slowly, letting out a deep breath.

"So, bossy... Give me your reasons," He said after a minute, looking down at her.

"My reasons?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"Why should I do this basketball camp?" He responded, letting his hand come to rest on her shoulder.

"Mm... Because I said so," She laughed, curling herself further into his body.

He laughed, kissing the top of her head. "You're right, that does make sense."

She smiled, shrugging her shoulders. "Because I think you can do it, and I think you'd enjoy it too. Probably not forever, but it can give you something to do, right? And you'll still be able to do it while you're going to school, if you happen to enjoy it."

"Can't I just do you?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows and laughing.

"Nathan," Haley groaned, rolling her eyes. "You're such a dork. Yes, but I think you might need to find another hobby as well. Summer school is horrible, so I'm going to be grouchy."

He laughed, shrugging his shoulders and sighing softly. "I'd hate to end up as grumpy as Whitey."

"Whitey is nice, and someone you respect so dearly. You should stop speaking down on him," She scolded, hugging him close to her. "I think you'll like it, Nathan. It will be a nice relief from school work, and if you do happen to get too busy with school, well, we'll cross that bridge if we come to it. So yeah, I want you to do this. You aren't going to be able to play professionally anymore, but you can still play, right? Still be involved? There's no reason to hate something you used to love so dearly."

He sighed, nodding slowly. "You know what, Haley? I'll think about it. But I'm going to need your help," He said quietly, shifting slightly.

"Anything," She responded, nodding. "Well- unless you want me to show your players my moves, then definitely not."

"Well, you have to show me, of course," He laughed, kissing her head and letting out a deep breath. "I don't take medication for my back very often, which you already know. A month supply can last me way longer than a month because I don't generally push myself to the point where it aches, and with my normal exercise routines, I do them so often that I'm used to it now, but when I first started, Clay kept a close eye on me and made sure I took them."

"Okay..." She trailed off, looking up at him and raising her eyebrows.

"So... If I end up doing this, it's going to hurt, because I'm not going to be able to stop myself from playing like I did a couple of months ago," He said, sighing softly. "I need you to help me take my pills," He mumbled, squeezing his eyes shut.

Haley smiled at him, kissing his chin and nodding her head, "Of course, Nathan."

"I know I won't, but I'm terrified of becoming addicted," He told her, clearing his throat. "I'd rather live with the pain or just not do the things like I like to do."

"Oh, baby..." She said, sitting up slowly, pulling the sheets with her, looking down at him. She cupped his face, shaking her head. "You don't need to be scared, Nathan. I'll help you, okay?"

"Thank you," He responded, smiling up at her. "You're the only woman I've ever been in love with, Haley..."

"I don't take it lightly," She assured him, laying back down next to him, her head resting on his chest.

"What do you say we do something romantic tonight?" He asked her, looking down at her and letting out a deep breath.

"Oh yeah? Like what?" She questioned him, raising her eyebrows.

"There's a park not too far from here. Why don't we have a picnic or something?" He said, kissing the top of her head. "A little bit later, of course. It's too hot outside right now, but in an hour or so we should be alright."

"That sounds perfect," She said, cuddling into his side, sliding her arm across his stomach. "I don't have any food."

"You have bread, peanut butter, and jelly... What more do you need?" He asked her, smirking slightly.

"Good point," She laughed, kissing his chest and shaking her head. "Peanut butter and jelly and water bottles. Sounds perfect."

"Anything can be romantic as long as I'm with you," He told her, laughing.

"That was cheesy," She laughed, tapping his side and shaking her head.

"That's why I said it," He informed her, kissing her head. "I like being here with you."

"Me too, I'm very excited for you to move here," She hummed, nodding up at him. "Think of how much fun we're going to have. I can organize your fridge the same way I organize mine!"

"Oh, yay..." He laughed, rolling his eyes. "Now I'm going to have to stock my fridge with things besides protein shakes and beer."

"The things you do for me make my heart race," She said, grinning.

"Watch it, you..." He chuckled, tapping his fingers on her back. "Maybe if I'm giving it to you daily, you won't tease me anymore."

"Not likely," She laughed, rubbing her cheek against his chest. "I can also show you all of my old make out spots." She joked.

"I tell you I love you and now you're comfortable showing me them? I don't think I'll be able to handle the image," He groaned, place his own hand over his heart.

"Oh, relax," She laughed, resting her hand over his. "I'm just teasing you..."

"Sure, sure," He hummed, rubbing her back lightly, closing his eyes.

Haley lifted her head, scooting upwards a bit, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "I love you," She whispered in his ear, smiling when a grin formed on his face.

"I love you," He repeated back to her, blinking his eyes open, looking over at her.

"Stop looking at me like that," She said, kissing him softly. "I need to get up and continue to unpack."

"Your bed is unpacked, what else do we need?" He laughed, raising his eyebrows.

"I won't let you rope me into anything else until I've unpacked at least ten more boxes," She said, rolling onto her side so she was facing away from him.

Nathan followed her lead, his chest pressing up against her back. "We can finish up this weekend, right?"

"I really need to unpack, I know you're just along for the ride, but I want my big strong boyfriend's help," She said, shrugging her shoulders and leaning back against him.

He brushed his lips against her neck lightly, shaking his head, "But this is more fun."

"I'm listening," She told him, letting out a deep breath.

"I'll help you move in without any argument if you stay here with me for a little while longer," He informed her, smiling against her skin. "And I'll pack our picnic."

She thought for a second, glancing towards the door, before looking up at him.

"Deal."

xxxx

Haley smiled down at Nathan, who's head was rested in her lap, his eyes closed, one arm laying across his stomach, while the other stretched down her leg, stroking her shin lightly.

She ran her fingers through his hair lightly, humming softly. She felt so carefree at the moment. Sure, there were a lot of things waiting for her at her new home, and even a couple of things still at her apartment, but why worry about that when she could spend time with her boyfriend?

Her boyfriend that she loved, and that loved her. The thought made her want to squeal because she felt so happy.

She threaded her fingers through his hair, smiling down at him. "I love you," She told him for what felt like the thousandth time today, but she still wasn't tired of it.

"I love you too," He responded, blinking his eyes open and smiling up at her.

"You have the prettiest eyes I've ever seen," She informed him, stroking her fingertips down his face.

"Thanks," He laughed, shaking his head and shrugging his shoulders.

"Blue might just be my favorite color," She hummed, nodding down at him.

He chuckled quietly, letting out a content sigh, closing his eyes once again. "Tell me about what you want to do with your house."

"I have no idea, honestly..." She trailed off, looking down at him and smiling.

"You're going to buy some new furniture, right? Because you have nothing," He laughed, shrugging.

"Yes, yes. I probably should've waited to move in, but I was so excited," She groaned, twisting his hair into her fingers. "I need to buy a bed for my guest bedroom so you can start staying in there before you find a house."

"You're hilarious," He said, blinking his eyes open and looking up at her.

"I need to get eight hours of sleep at some point, buddy. And that doesn't seem to happen when you're in bed with me," She laughed, smiling down at him. "Not that I'm complaining."

He laughed, rolling his eyes and shaking his head. "Who needs that?" He said, winking at her. "I can go back to sleeping in my motel room."

"Now you're the one that's cracking joked," She laughed, tugging on his hair lightly. "Honestly, I like having you next to me. Even if you randomly wake up in the middle of the night occasionally, and then feel the need to wake me up so that I can show you some good loving."

"You love that, don't lie. There's nothing better to wake up to," He laughed, grinning up at her and shrugging his shoulders.

She laughed, winking down at him and shaking her head, dropping one hand down onto his chest. "This is very relaxing, being here with you."

"Told you," He said, nodding his head.

"Say you don't take this job, when do you think you'll move down here?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"As soon as I find a place, probably. Honestly, I'm really sad to leave Chase and Clay though," He said, sighing softly. "I mean, there's a chance of Clay moving here, but I doubt Chase would."

She sent him a sad smile, pinching his soft t-shirt between her fingers, nodding slowly. "I get that," She said, letting out a deep breath.

"But I'm more excited to be closer to you, because you've flipped my whole world around, baby," He informed her, grinning up at her.

"I miss you within minutes of you leaving," She said, sighing softly. "Is that crazy?"

"I don't think it is. We're in love," He said, flattening his palm over her knee.

"I love being in love with you," Haley told him, smiling down at him. "Tell me what you're looking for in a house."

"Nothing specific. Fireplace in the bedroom," He told her, smirking slightly.

She laughed, smiling at him and nodding. "Interesting choice, I wonder where you came up with it?"

"No idea," He said, winking at her, sitting up slowly. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, kissing her forehead. "I love you," He said softly in her ear.

Haley settled into his side, a grin forming on her face, nodding her head. "I love you too, Nathan Scott."


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Nathan jogged past the old, blacktop court on his way back to Haley's house, his pace slowing as he saw a familiar figure running around on it, shooting hoops in what looked to be frustration.

Yeah, it was definitely frustration and anger, and he'd been there for sure.

Before he knew it, he'd come to a complete stop, tugging his headphones out of his ears, watching as the boy jumped up and dunked it. Huh. So the rims could handle that. Maybe not for too much longer, though. If Lucas ever ventured to town, he'd have to force him to come here and fix it.

He slowly began to approach the court, crossing his arms and letting out a deep breath. He had no idea what he was doing, standing by the old picnic table.

"Not bad," Nathan finally said, the teenager's gaze shooting in his direction, finally taking notice of him.

"Not bad? Man, you must need glasses," He laughed, shaking his head. "What is Ms. James' little bodyguard doing over here, making judgements about my game?"

"Would you relax? I gave you a compliment," Nathan grumbled, sitting down and shrugging his shoulders. "It's Quentin, right?"

Quentin sent him a look, before nodding his head, going back to shooting the ball into the hoop.

Nathan sat down on top of the table, crossing his arms and watching him. He had to admit, he was better than 'not bad.' He could definitely play very well, and he definitely knew it.

"You gonna sit there, or you gonna play?" Quentin asked after a minute, looking over at him, palming the basketball and holding it out to him.

Nathan shook his head slowly, clearing his throat. "I think I'm just going to sit here. You know, you'd make your threes more if you planted your feet a little more apart. You keep them too close together," He commented, nodding slowly.

"Right, because I'm going to take advice from a wash up," Quentin laughed, shaking his head. "Why don't you get over here and show me, old man?"

"Something along the lines of being thrown through a window would be the reason," Nathan said, shrugging his shoulders.

"You sound like you're scared, Nate. Are you scared?" Quentin asked him, raising his eyebrows and grinning at him.

"No, man... I'm not scared. I'm just telling you what I'm noticing. Chill out, it's advice," Nathan said, letting out an annoyed sigh.

Quentin looked at him, before shaking his head and stepping behind the three-point arc, getting into position, making sure to emphasize how far apart he was spreading his feet, shooting the ball up wards.

Nathan watched as it soared through the air, a small smirk forming on his face as it 'swished' in the net easily, before looking over at Quentin.

"Yeah, whatever..." Quentin grumbled, going to retrieve the ball. "That was my skill, nothing you did."

"Sure, sure..." Nathan chuckled, rolling his eyes and shaking his head. "You're good, Quentin," He told him, shrugging his shoulders. "Why haven't you guys won any championships?"

"The rest of the team sucks ass," Quentin informed him, shooting the ball up again.

"So, uh, why don't you try to help them get better?" Nathan asked, him, leaning back against the wood.

Quentin dropped the ball, looking at him in mock-disbelief. "All hail Nathan Scott, he just figured out the way to make our team undefeated," He shouted, holding his arms out and spinning in a circle as if he was talking to a crowd.

"You know, you don't have to be such a dick about everything I say," Nathan told him, chuckling quietly.

"Don't you think I've tried helping them? I have. But I still have to carry them because every time I pass the ball, it doesn't even touch the basket," Quentin said, rolling his eyes. "We lose because I play one on five."

That sounded all too familiar. He was pretty much dealing with himself in high school at the moment.

"Basketball is a team sport. Play five on five," Nathan said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Did you not just hear what I said?" Quentin asked him, raising his eyebrows.

"No, I heard you. But they made the team, didn't they? So they must be good at something, or have potential at least," Nathan informed him, standing up slowly. "Find the areas they're good at and help them progress. Maybe you'll have to run the offense through you ninety-five percent of the time, but don't just run down the court with the ball every time. Pass it around, make them work for it."

Quentin looked at him, shaking his head and sighing softly. "Whatever you say, Nate. I mean, I like my teammates, but they aren't at the same speed I'm at."

"So help them get there," Nathan chuckled, shrugging his shoulders.

Quentin looked thoughtful almost, and Nathan was pretty positive he'd gotten through to him, because his gaze shifted to the blacktop.

"We'll see. You want to play?" Quentin asked, holding out the ball again.

"Another time," Nathan said, slipping one headphone into his ear. "Oh, and you won't even be able to play basketball if you keep failing English. Maybe you should teach them some tricks so they don't lose every game without you?"

Before Quentin could say anything else, Nathan slid his other headphone in, and took off running away from the Rivercourt, a small smirk on his face.

xxxx

Haley jumped when she felt Nathan's hands on her waist, pulling her back into his chest, placing a loud kiss to the side of her neck.

"You're all sweaty," She groaned, pushing her arm back into him, trying to get out of his grasp.

"I know. I went on a run," He told her, squeezing her tighter to him when she tried to get free. "I was going to see if you wanted to take a cool down jog around the park with me before it gets too hot."

"This is how it's going to be now, isn't it? You're going to show up at my house at five in the morning and ask me to run with you?" She laughed, looking over her shoulder at him.

"It's a risk," He laughed, winking at her and leaning down to press a kiss to her mouth, nudging his nose against hers. "I'm just kidding, anyways. I'm going to shower."

"Wait a second," She hummed, stepping out of his arms, walking over to the fridge and opening it up, holding up a greenish smoothie. "I made this for you."

He grinned at her, raising his eyebrows and stepping over to her, taking it from her. "I love you," He told her, leaning down and kissing her again.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, standing on her toes and deepening their kiss, allowing herself to relax against him.

"Hey, don't start something you can't finish," He said, winking down at her, tucking her hair behind her ear, leaning down and kissing her once more.

"Oh, I have nothing but time," She informed him, brushing her fingertips over the nape of his neck, before stepping back to the counter, where she was cutting up fruit.

He smiled at her, standing behind her, pressing his face into her neck and letting out a deep breath. "Are you going to tell me that you love me too?"

"Oh, I must've forgotten," Haley laughed, shaking her head. "I love you too, Nathan..."

He grinned, kissing her shoulder lightly, before taking a seat at the bar in the kitchen, beginning to drink the smoothie she'd made for him, humming quietly and watching her.

"When are you going back to New York?" Haley asked him, raising her eyebrows and glancing over at him.

"Two days... But, I was thinking that um, maybe I'd be interested in taking this coaching job after all," He said, clearing his throat.

Haley blinked over at him, smiling slightly. "Really? What made you decide that?"

"Well, for one... You'd be forced to spend time with me," He laughed, shrugging his shoulders. "And... I don't know, it's kind of weird. I was on my run this morning, and I ran past the Rivercourt, and Quentin was there."

"Quentin Fields?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows, stopping her cutting, setting the knife on the cutting board and turning to face him.

"Yeah, sure..." He said, nodding at her. "And I stopped and talked to him for a little bit."

"You had a heartfelt moment with the kid that has been giving me hell all year long? He's the one that made you decide you wanted to do this?" She asked him, sounding a little unconvinced. "I mean, I don't know him well at all, but..."

"It sounds weird, doesn't it?" He asked her, chuckling quietly. He met her confused gaze, before looking down and shrugging. "Sorry," He mumbled, clearing his throat.

She frowned, shaking her head quickly. "What are you apologizing for, Nathan?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"I don't know," He said, rubbing the back of his neck.

She sighed softly, moving to sit down next to him, taking his hand in hers. "You have nothing to be sorry for, I promise. I'm not mad or anything, I guess I'm just confused."

"I just want to help him, Hales... I know he can be a jerk, but talking to him today, well, he's pretty much the person I was in high school," He informed her, shrugging. "I want to help him."

She nodded, looking down at their joined hands, smiling slightly. "You know, that's actually one of the reasons I wanted to be a teacher. I like to help people, whether it's with their homework, or if they need a listening ear."

"Well you've helped me a lot," He informed her, kissing her forehead and letting out a deep breath. "So, yeah. I'm probably under qualified, but if you'll put in a good word with me to your principal, that'd be great."

"Oh, definitely," She said, smiling at him and standing up again, walking back over to the cutting board.

Nathan smiled at her, resting his elbow on the countertop, placing his chin in his palm as he watched her finish cutting up her fruit, grab a fork and shift her bowl so that she was standing across from him leaning forward and resting her elbows down while she ate, grabbing the book that was sitting not too far off to the side, flipping it open and beginning to read. After watching her for awhile, he stood up, putting his cup in the dishwasher, pressing a kiss to her head, before heading upstairs to shower.

Haley looked over her shoulder as Nathan walked away, raising her eyebrows and smiling slightly. She was honestly a bit surprised that he'd agreed to coach the Ravens so quickly after having only his second conversation with Quentin.

Haley had definitely seen potential in Quentin, she just guessed he didn't have the motivation to do the tasks that she gave him. What could his and Nathan's conversation consisted of that made him want to help him?

She shook her head, shrugging her shoulders and turning her attention back to the book she was reading, skimming her finger across the page until she found her spot.

xxxx

"Hey, I got you a present," Haley hummed, stepping into the living room, where Nathan was pushing on the couch to center it a little better like she'd suggested they do, holding her hands behind her back. She raised her eyebrows, looking at him and shaking her head. "Hey! I could've helped you with this, hot shot."

"It's okay, you were unpacking some of the stuff in your room, so I thought I'd just do it. I'm fine. What did you get me?" He asked her, smirking slightly and looking over at her. "Is this centered enough?"

"Perfect," She hummed out in response, smiling up at him. "Are you going to close your eyes?"

"Do I have to?" He asked her, chuckling quietly and raising his eyebrows.

"Humor me," She told him, winking at him and taking a small step forward.

He eyed her, shaking his head, closing his eyes and letting out a deep breath. "Alright, I can't see a thing."

She smiled up at him, standing on her toes and kissing him softly, before taking a step back. "Okay, sorry. That wasn't it, I just couldn't help myself," She hummed, biting her lip.

He smirked, shrugging his shoulders. "If that would've been it, then that would've been fine with me," He chuckled, taking a small step closer.

Haley laughed, holding out her hands and nodding her head. "Okay, open your eyes. I was looking through some of my old stuff and I found this."

Nathan blinked his eyes open, looking down at the blue t-shirt in her hands. He raised his eyebrows, and glanced up at her face. "Tree Hill Football?"

"Yeah, yeah, it's not basketball, but it's the only one I found. Maybe I have a basketball one running around here, I don't know. Despite being a cheerleader, I wasn't crazy about repping the Tree Hill Ravens on my free time," She laughed, holding it closer to him.

He looked down again, chuckling quietly. "Baby, I'm not sure we wear the same size..." He joked, nodding at the shirt that obviously belonged to someone else before her.

Haley smacked him with the shirt, dropping it over his shoulder. "Oh, shut it. It was my brother's shirt," She told him, shrugging her shoulders.

"So what happens when I'm wearing this shirt and your brother stops by without warning and I look like an idiot that's wearing his shirt?" He asked her, holding the shirt up.

"Oh, my brothers know better than to stop by unexpectedly," She said, shaking her head. "I even sprayed a little bit of perfume on it so it smells like me," She teased him, stepping forward.

He held it up to his nose, smelling it and smiling. "Mm, smells great," He said, nodding at her. "I like it more on you though," He hummed out, dipping his head down and pressing his face into her neck.

Haley laughed, resting her hands on his biceps, closing her eyes. She pushed on his arms when he started to place light kisses onto her neck, shaking her head. "No sir, I'm not letting you trap me into this again."

"What does that mean?" He asked her, laughing when she pushed him off, raising his eyebrows.

"It means every time I get focused on unpacking, you suddenly show up with your grabby hands and your smooth words," She laughed, shrugging her shoulders.

"You found me, Haley James. I was moving the couch," He chuckled, winking at her. "Well, I moved it like two inches, but that also means I had to move the tables as well," He informed her, shrugging his shoulders.

"Keep up the good work," She said, nodding at him, taking a step away from him.

He pouted, leaning forward and kissing her forehead, "I'll come help you?" He suggested, rubbing her shoulder.

She laughed, shaking her head and looking up at him. "If you can keep your hands to yourself, you can come help me."

"I make no promises," He said, tossing the shirt over his shoulder.

"Wait a minute, you have to put it on," She joked, grabbing onto his hand. "I have a thing for football players."

"You're hilarious," He said, shaking his head and tugging her up the stairs. "Come on, baby... Let's get, um... Cleaning."


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36

Haley smiled slightly as she watched Nathan and Lucas as they stood in the old Tree Hill gymnasium, laughing with each other.

Her first summer school class had ended about ten minutes prior, and she'd rushed over to spend time with Nathan before his summer camp started in about an hour.

He'd been a little stressed about coaching, so he'd invited Luke to come help him for a few days since Lucas was more experienced in coaching.

And of course, Lucas had happily agreed, because Brooke Davis also happened to be in town the exact same time. She'd have to remember to get the more in depth scoop from her dear friend later.

Nathan glanced over and met her gaze, a grin forming on his face as he shoved the clip board he'd been holding into Lucas' chest, jogging over to her.

"Hey, Coach Scott," Haley hummed, her hands connecting with his chest as soon as he reached her.

Nathan chuckled, dipping his head down and kissing her lightly for a moment. "Hey," He responded, raising one hand to rest on her wrist, his thumb lightly caressing her skin.

"Nervous?" She asked him softly, raising her eyebrows and smiling up at him.

"Me? Never," He joked, shrugging his shoulders. "Yeah, honestly. I'm pretty nervous."

"You're going to be great, I know it," She assured him, biting her lip and looking up at him.

"We'll see about that. I honestly hope that I can keep my temper in check," He said, sighing softly. "Luke's here, hopefully he'll chill me out."

She slid her hand up, curling her fingers around the lanyard that the whistle he was wearing was attached to. "You'll be alright."

He nodded, kissing her forehead lightly and letting out a deep breath. "So, how was your first day of summer school? Hell?"

"Oh, boy... No one wants to be in summer school. I don't even want to be there," She laughed, shaking her head. "Quentin was alright, very negative, but it's his own damn fault he's in there."

"So I don't need to lay down the hammer at practice?" He laughed, raising his eyebrows.

"Oh, you can still do that," She joked, smiling up at him. "I wish I could stick around to watch you," She said, taking a small step closer to him.

He chuckled, nodding at her. "I'll have Luke tell you how sexy it is later," He joked, resting his hand on her waist. "You could always stay."

"Yeah, I don't want them to make jokes about you being whipped quite yet, or me being whipped," She laughed, poking his chest lightly. "Even if it is a little true."

He laughed, shrugging his shoulders, "Well, I make sure Quentin feels the hell he's been giving to you all year. Don't you want to stick around for that?"

"Oh, definitely not," She laughed, smiling up at him. "Don't be too mean."

"I had the meanest coach alive, and then when I got home I had the cruelest coach alive, so mean is all that I know," He informed her, squeezing her waist lightly. "Just kidding, Hales... Luke is here to help me, I'll be the perfect amount of mean."

Haley rolled her eyes and chuckled, standing on her toes and kissing him one more time. "Good boy. Alright, I'm going to head home," She told him, brushing the back of her hand over his cheek.

"Okay, baby, I'll see you in a little while," He said, hugging her briefly, smiling down at her. When she started to walk away, he turned and jogged back over to Lucas.

"You are so in love," Lucas commented, a smirk on his face as he looked at his younger brother.

"Completely," Nathan responded, taking the clipboard back and glancing at his brother, whose eyes were practically popping out of his head.

"You told her?" Lucas asked him, raising his eyebrows.

"Yeah," Nathan said, nodding and chuckling quietly. "I'm growing up," He joked, shifting slightly.

"Congrats, Nate..." Lucas laughed, slapping him on the back. "I can't believe Haley did in a few months what everyone else has been trying to do for years."

"You've all been trying to get me to fall in love with you?" Nathan asked him, smirking slightly and raising his eyebrows.

"Shut up," Lucas laughed, wrapping his arm around Nathan's neck, attempting to tug him into a headlock.

Nathan laughed, pushing him back. "I don't want to get sappy with you, Luke. Save that shit for Brooke Davis, we have a camp to run."

"I just want to tell you that I'm happy for you, Nate," Lucas chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. "That's it. That's all that I will say."

"Thanks," Nathan said, letting out a deep breath. He walked over to the rack where the basketballs were rested on, picking up one and tossing it over to Lucas.

Lucas chuckled, dribbling the ball, before shooting it towards the hoop, watching it roll around the rim then fall through the net.

"Come on, Lucas," Nathan laughed, shaking his head. "I thought that was going to fall to the ground. What's wrong? Still suck?"

Lucas looked over at him, raising his eyebrows. "Okay, tough guy, you shoot it then," He suggested, grabbing the rebound, holding it out towards him.

"I'm alright," Nathan said, gesturing to the clipboard in his had. "I have work to do, I can't just sit around and play."

Lucas shook his head, deciding not to argue, just stepping over to his brother's side and looking down at the clipboard.

After a little while of discussing the game plan, Nathan glanced over when a couple of guys walked into the gym, joking around and shoving each other.

He glanced over at Lucas, letting out a shaky breath. Okay, okay... They were just teenagers. He could handle this. Lucas was there to back him up if he couldn't.

The guys made eye contact with Nathan, before walking over quickly.

"Q told us that our new coach was Nathan Scott, but we didn't believe him!" One of the guys said, his eyebrows raised.

"You were a legend at Duke!" The other one said, clearing his throat.

Nathan nodded, crossing his arms. "I was. But now I'm your coach, so hit the locker room," He said, nodding out of the gym towards the locker rooms.

They both nodded, before rushing away to follow his orders.

"Laying down the law in the first five minutes, nice work," Lucas chuckled, shaking his head and letting out a deep breath.

"I just don't want to talk about it right now," Nathan grumbled, rubbing his neck.

"Oh, you don't want to talk about basketball? Won't that create a little trouble, Coach Scott?" Lucas laughed, raising his eyebrows at him.

"I don't want to talk about Duke, Lucas. I don't want these guys to look at me like I'm a legend, because I suck ass," Nathan grumbled, gesturing towards the basketballs. "So we're just going to tell everyone to hit the locker room, and get ready for the hell we're about to send their way."

"Got it. Tough guys. No friendly faces here," Lucas said, trying to crack a joke to ease the tension that suddenly filled his younger brother, but it was unsuccessful.

Nathan glanced over, nodding at the guys that entered following. Pretty soon, there was a pretty decent sized group there, but there was no sign of Quentin.

"He's not here," Nathan said softly, turning to Lucas and looking up at him. "Should I wait?"

"Who?" Lucas asked him, sending him a confused look.

"The kid I told you about, the one that gives Haley hell. He's not here yet. What do I do?" He asked, clearing his throat and shrugging his shoulders.

"Start without him, make him run ten extra laps for being late," Lucas told him, nodding slowly, before turning to look back at the guys that were sitting on the bleachers in front of them.

"Alright," Nathan said, looking up at them. "Welcome to camp. I don't know how it's been the last couple of years for you guys, but I know how these next four weeks are going to be. Hell. Now, if you listen to the things I say, and do what I tell you, then it might be a little bit easier. But something you need to know about me right off the bat, is that I'm not looking to take shit this summer. I will toss you out of the gym without a second glance," He began, nodding at them. "So, with that. I'm your new coach. You can call me Coach Scott, and Coach Scott only. This is my brother Lucas, and he'll be hanging around for the first week or so."

Lucas nodded to them, crossing his arms and letting out a deep breath.

"I've been looking over your stats over the past few years, and I absolutely hate what I've been seeing. So right here, in this gym, we aren't splitting up into Freshmen, JV, or Varsity. You're all going to start together, and then we will divide you into groups based on who we think will work well together. I don't know what kind of crap your old coach was telling you, but we're starting new. So, to start, you're going to run twenty laps. Go," Nathan said, gesturing for them to stand up and start running.

Lucas chuckled as they did, looking over at Nathan. "Nice work, little brother," He told him, nodding. "That's exactly how I would've done it."

"Thanks," Nathan said, glancing towards the door, letting out a deep breath. "Speak of the devil," He grumbled as Quentin stepped into the gym, a cocky smirk on his face.

"Nate," Quentin said, stepping over to him. "Knew you'd come around."

"Hey, it's Coach Scott inside this gym, Quentin," Nathan said, nodding at him and shrugging his shoulders. "What the hell are you doing here so late?"

"Stopped to talk to Ms. James, let's just say things got a little hot and heavy and leave it at at," Quentin said, winking at him.

Nathan scowled, his posture stiffening. He knew this kid was just messing with him to try to get under his skin, and it was definitely working. The way he was talking about his girlfriend, no way.

"Listen here, Quentin, if you're late again I'll throw your ass out of here. Now dress down, and get running. Lucky you, you get to run thirty five laps because you're late and you're being disrespectful," Nathan said simply, nodding towards the locker room. "Better hurry, if you take too long, you'll be running all day."

Quentin opened his mouth to respond, before shaking his head and heading into the locker room.

"That's the kid you've decided to take under your wing?" Lucas asked him, raising his eyebrows.

"Take under my wing? No," He said, shaking his head and scowling, watching as the other players ran around the gym.

"He's a jerk, but you've been jittery waiting for him to get here..." Lucas trailed off, before nodding in realization. "Okay. I get it. Yeah, you think he's a high school Nathan Scott."

"Shut up, Luke. I'll make you start running too," Nathan grumbled, keeping his attention on the court.

xxxx

Haley glanced over her shoulder from her spot lounging on the lawn chairs she bought when she heard the back door slide shut, a small smile forming on her face.

"Hey," Nathan said, looking down at her and smiling slightly. He took a seat at the end of her chair, facing away from her, looking out at her yard.

She raised her eyebrows, scooting forward, resting her hand on his back. "What's wrong? Did something happen today?"

"I don't know, Hales..." He sighed, shifting his gaze to the ground, shrugging his shoulders.

"Talk to me," She said, rubbing her hand up his back slowly, frowning.

"You know, the biggest reason I did this was because you wanted me to," He told her, kicking his foot at the ground.

"I know," She responded, biting her lip and letting out a deep breath.

"I don't think you get it, Haley..." He grumbled, pressing his face into his hands, shaking his head.

"Get what, Nathan?" She asked him, frowning and scratching her fingernails along his back.

"You don't get how hard this is for me," He said, looking over his shoulder at her.

She scooted closer to him so that he was sitting between her legs, raising her eyebrows. "Hey..." She trailed off, continuing to rub his back.

"Sorry, I just... You don't understand, Haley..." He sighed, looking forward again.

"So make me understand, Nathan. Don't just keep repeating that I don't understand," She said, shaking her head.

"I loved basketball," He said, running his fingers through his hair. "And this, this is not basketball. This is dealing with a bunch of teenagers that aren't very good at it."

"Why don't you look at this as a way for you to stay involved with basketball, even if it's not playing?" She suggested to him, wrapping her arms around his chest, pinning his arms to his side.

"I just want to be with you, Haley... And we said that this would be a way to spend more time together, but I don't see how that's working, because you doing your summer school, and then after that, I do this camp thing," He said, letting out a sigh.

"Nathan, do you want to just be sitting around and waiting for me all day long?" She questioned him, raising her eyebrows.

"No," He responded, leaning back into her lightly, closing his eyes and clearing his throat.

"You need to finish out this camp, Nathan," She told him, shrugging her shoulders, kissing the back of his neck. "You can still be great, baby... One door closes, another one opens. Maybe you've just been wandering the hallways for awhile trying to finding the next door."

He sighed softly, shaking his head and looking down. "I miss it, Haley..." He said, squeezing his eyes shut. "Every day of my life. I miss everything I used to be."

"Well, I like everything you are now, Nathan," She told him, brushing her fingers up his chest.

"I hate feeling vulnerable and broken in front of you," He grumbled, leaning forward slightly, only to be pulled back into her tight embrace.

Haley loosened her grip enough for him to let his arms free, shaking her head. "Nathan, I love you, and I want you to feel like you can tell me anything, and I want to feel that I can come to you with anything," She paused for a moment, letting out a sigh. "You are not broken," She told him, shaking his torso lightly with every word.

He let out a slow, deep breath, squeezing his eyes tighter shut. "I just want to be put together like you are."

"I'm not, Nathan..." Haley said quickly, pressing a light kiss to the side of his neck. "Please understand that. I have so many doubts about everything I do, Nathan. But I'm positive that I love you, and that you're not broken."

Nathan bit his lip, feeling his heart pound in his chest at her words. He loved her more than he could ever imagine. It almost felt silly that in his moments of insecurity and doubt, she could pick up his heart rate at any given second and his thoughts would almost be completely turned to her. She really was a light.

Haley slid her hands down his chest, and let them rest at his thighs, nuzzling her nose against his skin. "I love you," She repeated to him.

There it was again. It shook him to his core every time those three words fell from her lips. It wasn't fair how much power she had over him. He felt every sense of the word sink into him.

"I love you too, Haley..." He repeated, his voice slightly hoarse from emotion.

"You're going to be fine, baby... You have me to lean on when things get tough. I've said that plenty of times, and I'll keep saying it until it sticks into your gorgeous head," She hummed out, kissing down his neck softly, her hands slowly moving along his legs.

He let out a deep breath, tilting his head to the side, leaning back into her.

Haley smiled slightly to herself, brushing her thumb over his knee. It hurt her when he doubted himself, when she could see him closing off. When he told her that she'd never understand, it hurt a little bit. But that was Nathan. She had to fight a little bit before he let himself open up. Maybe one day it would be different, but this was all he'd ever known. He had been closed off to real feelings his whole entire life.

She heard him whisper a breathy 'I love you' as she kissed along the back of his neck, her tongue occasionally shooting out to brush along his skin.

It was impossible to describe the love she had for him with words. It had not been that long since they'd first admitted it to each other, but it rolled off the tongue so easily now. Like they spoke a language that only the other person understood. At the risk of sounding cheesy in her own thoughts, it was magical.

"Is it concerned public indecency if it's in your own yard?" Nathan asked her, raising his eyebrows.

Haley laughed, standing up from her spot behind him, walking around to stand in front of him. She gripped his face, leaning down and kissing him sweetly. "You're so special to me, Nathan. I'll support you through this. I think you should continue with it, but if you want to quit then I don't care."

He smiled up at her, grabbing her hand and tugging her down so that she was straddling his lap. "Thanks, Haley..." He said softly, smirking at her.

"And based on that smirk, I have the feeling that you're not going to listen to anything I say after this moment," She laughed, brushing her fingers through his hair. "Don't worry, we'll talk about it later..."

He nodded his head, tugging her up to her knees, pulling her shirt up, brushing his fingertips along the '23' on her back.

Haley smiled, resting her hands on his chest, pushing him back against the lawn chair. She grabbed his hands from their spots on her waist, linking her hand with his, and holding them up by his head.

"You're mine, Nathan Scott..." She whispered to him, kissing his forehead.

"I know," He responded, grinning slightly, his eyelids fluttering shut as Haley kissed down his cheek and along his jawbone.

Haley lifted her head up to look around her yard for a moment, his gaze flickering to the neighboring houses, clearing her throat.

"Don't stop now, Haley James... Live on the wild side with me," He said, shaking his head.

She looked down at him, laughing quietly. "You know me too well," She said, shrugging her shoulders. "If we're going to do this, it needs to be quick."

He laughed, pushing up on her hands lightly. "Well, baby... That is where you know me too well."

xxxx

Nathan woke up to the sound of his phone buzzing loudly on the nightstand, letting out an annoyed sigh. Who the hell was texting him in the middle of the night?

He shook his head, pulling Haley closer to him, and shutting his eyes, only to blink them open again when he received another text, and then another.

He sighed softly, releasing his arm from around her, rolling over so he was facing the nightstand his phone was on. He reached forward picking it up, and looking down at the messages from his brother.

After letting his eyes adjust for a moment, and receiving a few more texts from Lucas that were trying to annoy him into waking up, he sat up slowly, lifting up the covers off his body, and tossing his legs over the side of the bed.

Haley rolled over so so was facing him, keeping her eyes shut as she reached out her hand, resting it on his back.

He looked over his shoulder at her, smiling slightly. After a moment of sitting there, admiring his sleeping beauty, he stood up slowly.

"Where are you going?" Haley mumbled out, lifting up her head and looking over at him.

"Lucas needs my help, he's outside right now..." Nathan informed her, pulling a t-shirt over his head.

"With what?" She asked, sitting up slowly, scooting back so that she was leaning against the headboard.

"I'm not sure," He chuckled in response, walking into the bathroom to brush his teeth. After a moment, he emerged from the bathroom, letting out a deep breath.

"How long will you be gone?" She asked, raising her eyebrows and yawning.

"I don't know, but I'll text you as soon as I do," He said, stepping over to the bed, sitting down next to her. He leaned forward, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I love you, Haley James."

She smiled slightly, leaning forward and brushing her lips against his. "I'm really confused right now, but just, um... Keep me updated," She said, touching his cheek.

"You and me both," He responded, nodding at her. "Trust me, baby, I won't let him keep me gone for too long."

She nodded, brushing her hand over his shoulder. "Alright. I love you too," She mumbled, sliding down the bed.

Nathan smiled at her, heading out of the room, down the stairs, and outside the house. He walked over to Lucas' car that was parked on the street.

"Dude, what the hell are we doing?" He asked, pulling in the front seat and climbing in.

"You'll see," Lucas said, glancing at the time. "Why are you questioning me?"

"Because it's the middle of the night, and I was sleeping next to my smoking hot girlfriend, and you were sleeping next to yours, yet you forced me to come do whatever the hell we're doing," Nathan grumbled, crossing his arms.

"You'll thank me later," Lucas said, reaching forward and turning up the radio a little bit, tapping his fingers on a steering wheel.

After a little while, they pulled up to the Rivercourt, the lights shining brightly down on it.

Nathan looked over at Lucas, before moving back to the court. He raised his eyebrows, watching Quentin run around on the court, shooting the ball into the hoop.

"What are we doing here?" Nathan asked him, raising his eyebrows.

"Playing," Lucas said, getting out quickly, slamming the door shut and looking into the car.

Nathan got out, shaking his head. "No. I'm not playing," He said, rushing over to Lucas.

"You are," Lucas said, pointing towards the court. "Unless... You're too scared?"

"I'm not-"

"I know, you keep saying that," Lucas said, resting his hand on Nathan's shoulder. "Come on."

"Why is Quentin here?" Nathan asked him quickly, scowling at him.

"It was his idea," Lucas said, looking towards the court again. "You have to do it sometime, Nate. I know you tried a little bit back in California, but you need to move forward."

"Lucas..." Nathan warned him, watching Quentin as he stopped to look at the two of them.

"Get out there, Nathan. I know you want it," Lucas said, pointing to the court. "You're already dressed for it, pretty much."

Nathan looked over at Lucas, sucking in a deep breath and walking onto the court over to Quentin.

"Hey Nate, or should I say Coach Scott?" Quentin joked, smirking at him.

"Very funny," Nathan said, shaking his head and letting out a deep breath.

Lucas followed him, clapping Nathan on the shoulder. "Okay, Nathan, we're going to take it easy."

Quentin picked up the ball, tossing it over to him. "Make a free throw," He said, nodding over to the faded line.

"I..." Nathan sighed, rubbing his neck and walking over to the line. He looked up at the hoop, pausing and staring at it.

He'd done this so recently... Why was it so difficult?

"Take your time, Nate," Lucas said, offering him a small nod and crossing his arms.

Nathan blew out a slow, deep breath, raising his hands up I shoot. As soon as the ball left his hands, his eyes flew shut.

The sound that followed was one that he'd never grow tired of. The swish of the ball falling through the net.


	37. Chapter 37

This one is really more of a filler. I'm sorry it's been taking me so long to update!

Chapter 37

"So... I have a question for you, Miss James."

Haley glanced up from the assignment she was grading, looking at Quentin. He was the only student left in her classroom. The others had finished their work fairly quickly, and she'd given them permission to go. But for some reason, Quentin wasn't motivated by that and had decided to take his own sweet time.

"Yes, Quentin?" She asked, raising her eyebrows and nodding at him.

"What's with Nate?" He asked her, tapping his fingers on his desk.

Haley looked at him, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion. Was he really asking her about her boyfriend? Sure, Quentin, Nathan, and Lucas had spent quite a bit of time with each other since Lucas picked up Nathan in the middle of the night to go play basketball a few days prior. He'd really helped Nathan begin to let himself fall back in love with the game, but surely this was an inappropriate question.

"I'm sorry?" She asked him, clearing her throat.

"I get the nerves of playing basketball, but it's like a switch flips inside him every once and awhile and he just seems so angry and cold. What's up with that?" Quentin asked her, raising his eyebrows.

"Quentin, I'm not sure that's an appropriate question to ask me," Haley said slowly, nodding at him and sighing softly.

"I know, but I was just wondering if you'd tell me," He responded, nodding at her. He then shifted his gaze back down to the assignment he was doing, and began to work quietly.

Haley pursued her lips, watching him and letting out a small sigh. "Nathan has had a difficult last few years, and sometimes he gets inside of his own head. That's all I'm going to say about it," She told him, tapping her fingers on her desk.

Quentin looked up at her and grinned, "Never thought that I'd become buddies with your boyfriend, did you? Look at us, swapping stories about him."

"Quentin," Haley groaned, shaking her head. "Do your work so that you can go."

Quentin was quiet for a little bit, before looking up at her again. "Is he okay? With the whole basketball thing?"

She looked at him, raising her eyebrows and nodding slowly. "He's doing alright, I think."

"Good. Luke thought he wouldn't give it a chance," Quentin informed her, shrugging his shoulders.

Haley looked down at her papers, before looking back up at Quentin, "Thank you, Quentin. I think that he's enjoying it more than he'd admit, and you're a big part of that."

Quentin flashed her a grin, nodding his head. "No problem, Miss James. So, when can I come over for dinner?"

"Get back to work, Mr. Fields."

xxxx

Nathan groaned, pressing his face into the pillow beneath him, gripping the bed sheets lightly.

"That's the spot right there..." He trailed off, letting out a deep breath, gritting his teeth as her hands applied more pressure onto his lower back.

Haley smiled down at him, letting out a deep breath, shifting her gaze from his back to his head.

He was so cute. Since he'd returned home a short time ago, he'd been rubbing his back, complaining about how sore and tight his muscles were. At first, she'd been concerned, but he assured her it was a different pain, and she'd gone back to looking at her laptop.

Of course, he'd sat down next to her on the couch, letting out painful sighs every once and awhile, leaning forward and occasionally glancing over his shoulder at her.

It had confused her, because he wasn't a big complainer, but eventually she caught on to what he'd been trying to get her to do, and offered to give him a massage.

He'd all too quickly scooped her up and rushed upstairs despite having a 'sore back.'

And from the sounds he was making, she could tell this wasn't going to be a one time thing.

Not that she was complaining, of course. She definitely didn't mind the opportunity to have her hands all over him.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked her after a little while, relaxing under her hands as they moved up his shoulders.

"You," She hummed softly, shrugging her shoulders, tickling her fingertips over his ribcage.

He squirmed slightly underneath her, laughing and shaking his head. "Why?"

"Because I love you," She informed him, leaning down and kissing the back if his head, before kneading her hands into his back once again.

"I love you too," He responded, smiling in approval at her words.

"I'm going to find a puppy tomorrow, I think..." She informed him, letting out a deep breath.

"Finally," He laughed, shrugging slightly. "I thought you would have done it the first weekend you were here."

"I've been a little preoccupied," Se informed him, shifting herself up to her knees, applying more pressure onto his back.

"With your other dog?" He asked her, chuckling quietly.

"Yes," She replied, shaking her head. "Just kidding, baby. You're definitely not a dog."

He smiled, moving his arms to cross under his head, letting out a slow deep breath.

"Quentin was asking a lot of questions about you today," She informed him, looking down at his back, biting her lip.

"Yeah?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows and yawning. "About what?"

"He wanted to know why you're so distant sometimes," She informed him, sighing softly. "And I don't blame him for wondering."

"I don't think I need to explain myself to a kid in high school," Nathan chuckled, grabbing her hand that rested on his shoulder, pressing a kiss to her palm.

She smiled down at him, letting out a deep breath. "I think it's healthy when you open up to people."

"Everyone I feel the need to open up to already knows," He responded, sighing softly. "Sure, Q is great, but he doesn't need to go telling on me when I'm in a bad mood."

"I don't think he was telling on you, Nathan. I think he was genuinely curious," She told him, shaking her head and frowning. "Anyways, I just told him that you've had a difficult last few years."

He sighed softly, closing his eyes. "Thanks," He mumbled, stretching his arms out across the bed.

She slid her hand along his bicep, looking down at him and smiling. "He's starting to become a softy towards you, Nathan Scott. What have you done?"

"I have no idea. I think he's a little shithead," Nathan chuckled, smirking an shrugging slightly.

Haley leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to his temple. "He's even being a little less difficult in class."

"It's because I have a temper and he knows that if he crosses you, I won't even give punishing him a second thought," He informed her, laughing quietly.

"Mm..." She hummed, kissing the side of his neck. "I really love you, you know that?"

"Yeah?" He asked her, smiling and letting out a deep breath. "Well that's good, because I happen to feel the same way."

She ran her fingers through his hair, biting down on her bottom lip lightly, resting her cheek against his back, shifting so that her legs were stretched over his.

He chuckled, closing his eyes and shaking his head. "Make yourself comfortable."

"I already have," She informed him, letting one hand lightly stroke his side, while the other rested on the bed. "If only you didn't have all these rock hard muscles."

"Ah, yes... If only," He responded, smirking slightly. "If you want, I can't stop exercising and start eating super unhealthy."

"That's okay," She said, scratching her fingernails along his side lightly. "I'll make do."

"Well... We could always get a little exercise of our own in tonight," He informed her, lifting up his head slightly.

Haley kissed his shoulder blade, before moving to get off of him. "I actually think I'm going to shower, but you're free to join me."

"I'm in," He chuckled, standing up. "You go get in, I washed some of your towels while you were so I'll go get those out of the dryer."

"You did laundry for me?" She asked him, raising his eyebrows.

"Yeah, is that okay?" Nathan responded, sitting up and looking at her.

"That's like the sexiest thing you could've ever said to me," She said, sitting up, grabbing his chin and kissing him. "If I didn't mean it before, I mean it now. I love you."

"Okay, you're exaggerating big time," He laughed, rolling his eyes and kissing her again. "Go get that sweet ass in the shower, and I'll join you in a few minutes..."

Haley smiled at him, standing up quickly. "Sounds like a perfect plan," She informed him, winking at him and heading into the bathroom.

Nathan chuckled quietly as he watched her go, heading down the stairs quickly to the laundry room. He grabbed two towels from inside the dryer, smiling at the smell of Haley's fabric softener. She really picked the best of everything out there. The best furniture, the best clothes, the best places to eat, hell, the best fabric softener.

He hummed softly to himself as he rushed up the stairs and back into her bedroom. He was about to head into the bathroom when he heard a knock at the door downstairs. He sighed, dropping the towels onto the bed.

He could just ignore it... But then there was another knock, and another.

And if Haley found out he was ignoring the door when he was fully capable of answering it, she probably wouldn't be too pleased.

He glanced towards the bathroom door, groaning in frustration.

New plan. Get rid of whoever was at the door quickly, and then hurry back to his naked Greek goddess waiting for him in the shower.

He picked up his shirt from off the ground, tugging it over his head and making a face. Yeah, he didn't love the feeling of his shirt against his lotion covered back.

He walked out of the room slowly, dragging his feet a little bit and grumbling to himself.

Nathan stepped down the last stair, walking to the front door and sighing softly, pulling it open.

It was an older couple, not too old, definitely older than the age his parents would be.

They looked at little surprised to see him, each of them raising their eyebrows. Something was very familiar about them though...

"Well, you definitely aren't Haley James," The man spoke, a joking grin forming on his face.

The woman laughed, and looked at him, before looking back at Nathan. "You know full well who this is, don't you?"

"Of course, it's Nathan Scott. She didn't tell us that he was here. She never tells us," The man responded, nodding at him.

Nathan cleared his throat, looking at the two of them. "Uh, hi," He said, raising his eyebrows.

"Sorry, sorry. Is Haley here? This is her house, isn't it?" She said, taking a step back and looking at the numbers by the front door.

"She's in the shower right now. Can I take a message to her?" Nathan said slowly, looking at them.

God, they were familiar...

"Oh, no. We'll wait," The man responded, sliding into the house past Nathan, the woman following his lead. "We'll just set our stuff in the guest room. Wait- unless you're staying in there?"

"Oh, you shut your mouth, we know full well that he's not staying in there, Haley wouldn't make the poor boy do that," She responded, smacking her husband.

Nathan had no idea what was going on. They just... Walked in.

"Hey, Nate... Can you show us the guest room?" The man asked him, raising his eyebrows. "Can I call you Nate? I'm going to call him Nate, honey..."

"Original," The woman responded, rolling her eyes and looking over at Nathan.

"I'm sorry, I..." Nathan looked around the room as if there was supposed to be some kind of clue. Thankfully, his eyes landed on a photo hanging on the wall.

A group photo of Haley and her siblings, standing in the center were the two people standing in front of him now.

Her parents.


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38**

Nathan wanted to slam his palm into his forehead.

He couldn't believe that he forgot what her parents looked like...

Well, actually he definitely could believe it. He'd met Lucas' editor a million times and was just beginning to remember her name.

He tried hard though to pay attention when she talked about her family because he knew how important they were to her.

"Yeah, I can show you," He finally found his voice, clearing his throat. His head was spinning a little bit. Maybe he'd met them before, he most likely had. But he hated parents. He did everything he could to never meet a girl's parents, and he'd had much success. Until they show up on her door step and he already has his foot in his mouth.

He led them down he hall slowly, pushing open the door and gesturing inside. "You can set your stuff in there," He informed them, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Here you go, Jimmy," Lydia said, shoving her bag into his arm. "Be a doll and put that on the bed for me."

Jimmy. Right. Okay, okay. His name was Jimmy.

Nathan sucked in a deep breath. He could handle this. Jimmy James. James James. It was odd enough of a name that he could stick it in his brain this time around, since it would be pretty embarrassing to not know the name of his girlfriend's father.

"Sure, Lydia. Treat me like your pack mule," Jimmy grumbled, tossing the bags into the room, not caring whether it was gentle or not.

Lydia James. Good.

"Hm?" Lydia responded, raising her eyebrows.

"What I meant to say was 'yes dear.' Learn that one, Nate. Haley has her mother's glare," Jimmy said, smacking him in the chest.

Nathan nodded slowly, clearing his throat. "Can I get you anything?" He asked them, stepping away from the door slowly.

"Jimmy insisted on eating before we came so Haley didn't have to stress over anything," Lydia said, waving her hand. "You said she was in the shower?"

"Yeah, she, um... Just got in. I can go get her if you'd like..." Nathan trailed off, fiddling with the collar of his shirt.

"No, no... Let her be," Lydia hummed, waving her hand.

Nathan shifted slightly, "Well, we can go sit in the living room if you'd like..." He said, looking at them.

"Sounds great," Lydia said, pushing Jimmy into the guest room. "Go make sure nothing is broken in my bag, and then you can join us."

Jimmy groaned, looking at Nathan. "Say this one along with me," He began, gesturing at Nathan with his hand. "Yes dear."

Nathan chuckled quietly, for a second feeling calm because her parents seemed to be very light and easy to talk to. But then another weight slammed onto him as Lydia headed back towards the living room and he realized he had to follow her and make small talk.

Lydia settled onto the couch, making herself comfortable with ease while Nathan sat on the opposite end, picking up a pillow and hugging it against his chest, trying to figure out something to say.

"We're surprised to see you here," Lydia said, smiling warmly over at him. "Of course, we knew you and Bob were going at it again, but we didn't expect you to be here."

Nathan smirked at the nickname for her, noting it down so that he could call her that later.

"Oh, yeah... I live here now," He informed her, pulling a face. "Well, I mean, not here as in with Haley. I'm trying to sell my house in New York so that I can move here and find a house here but right now I'm staying with Haley. It's only temporary."

Smooth, Nathan... Smooth.

"If that's your story," Lydia hummed out, grinning at him. "She didn't tell us that, which isn't a surprise. I guess apparently we meddle a lot in her life so she leaves out details that we can hold against her. Only tells Quinn, and sometimes Quinn spreads the word."

"She speaks very highly of you," Nathan said, nodding at her quickly.

"Oh, please... I know a load of crap when I hear one," Jimmy said as he entered the room, taking a seat between Nathan and Lydia.

Nathan glanced towards the empty couch on the adjoining wall, debating on whether or not he should move to it.

"So what are your intentions with our daughter?" Jimmy asked him, looking over at him and raising his eyebrows.

Nathan nearly choked, looking over quickly, feeling his face heat up. "Um, well, I, uh..."

"I'm just kidding!" Jimmy laughed, shoving his arm. "You can relax, Nate. We're normal people."

Nathan let out a forced laugh, looking at them and nodding.

"She's going to be in there forever. She holds it against us that we had so many kids and all the hot water was gone by the time she came around," Lydia laughed, smiling over at Jimmy affectionately.

"I think she'll be out pretty soon," Nathan said, rubbing his neck and leaning back. Probably because she'd been expecting him to jump in with her, but that obviously wasn't going to happen now.

Another few minutes of awkward small talk ensued before he heard Haley coming down the stairs, followed by her voice.

"Hey, Scott, I thought you said you were going to join me!"

Nathan squeezed his eyes shut, letting out a deep breath when he felt her parents' gazes move to him.

When Haley walked into the living room, she stopped in her tracks, her face immediately turning a bright red color.

"Mom! Dad..." She trailed off, sending Nathan a quick glare.

"Sorry to interrupt," Lydia teased, standing up quickly, pulling her into a tight hug.

Haley hugged each of her parents, quickly, before her gaze fell to Nathan once more, who was staring at the wall in front of him, a funny look on his face, probably out of embarrassment.

"Nathan, can I have a quick word with you?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows.

Nathan jumped up to his feet, nodding at her, before glancing at her parents. "Do you mind if we...?" He nodded towards the stairs.

"Really, Haley? You have to finish up?" Jimmy said, bursting into laughter.

Haley scowled, running his fingers through her wet hair, "Dad!" She said, shaking her head.

"We don't mind," Lydia said, laughing at her husband's joke, digging her elbow into his side.

Nathan rushed towards the stairs, Haley hot on his heels. When they finally arrived in her bedroom, he turned to her.

"What the hell, Nathan?"

"What the hell, Haley?"

They questioned at the same time, their eyes locking each of them taking a step back.

"What do you mean 'What the hell?' Why didn't you tell me they were here?" Haley asked him, pushing on his shoulder.

"Me? I didn't know you were going to come down stairs asking me why I didn't come do you?" He exclaimed, shaking his head and crossing his arms.

"Do me? Oh lord," Haley groaned, shaking her head. "You knew there was a chance! We're usually alone. I can say and do whatever I want. I almost came down stairs in just one of your t-shirts!"

"Well, I'm sorry. I didn't think that far ahead, all I could think about what how my girlfriend's parents were here! Why didn't you tell me that they were coming, Haley?" He asked her, frowning and shaking his head. "I would've, I don't know... Prepared myself?"

"I didn't know they were coming, Nathan..." Haley said, shaking her head and rubbing her neck. "I mean... I had a feeling... I was afraid they would. They just stopped at my brother's house, and he lives in South Carolina, so I thought that maybe they were going to drop in unexpected but I wasn't sure..."

"You should've told me, Haley!" He said, shaking his head and groaning, covering his face with his hands.

"I'm sorry, Nathan! It's hit or miss with them, they drive their damn RV all over the place, sometimes they stop by and sometimes they don't," She said, shrugging her shoulders. "Maybe I should've said something, but I didn't want you to freak out over nothing."

"Yeah, you should have," He said, running his hand through his hair. "Don't worry, I already made an ass of myself. Maybe I should go."

"Go?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows. "Oh, no, no, buddy... You don't get to just go."

"Why not? You didn't tell me they were coming, they had no idea I was even here..." Nathan pointed out, shrugging his shoulders.

"Because we're a team now, Nathan," She said, poking his chest. "You're not leaving."

"Well, you're not being the best teammate right now," He pointed out, letting out a deep sigh. "I'm not the type of person that parents usually like, so I wish you would have told me."

"Are you crazy, Nathan?" She asked him, frowning. She moved her finger that was still jabbed into his chest, laying her palm lightly in its place. "You're exactly the person I want, why wouldn't my parents like you?"

Nathan looked at her, shaking his head. "I'm upset with you, Haley. Don't look at me with your big brown eyes and say sweet things to me."

She sighed softly, looking up at him. "Be upset with me if you want, but there's nothing I can do about it now. I'm sorry, okay?"

"I'll meet you down there in a minute, okay? I have to call Clay..." He said, running his fingers through his hair.

Haley nodded slowly, breaking eye contact and stepping past him, giving his bicep a light squeeze as she moved away from him.

It had been awhile since he'd called Clay to ease his anxieties. Usually it was her that he turned to now.

She should've told him, but she didn't want to worry him if they had not showed up. She had a feeling they would. To her, it was no big deal. But she should've taken him into consideration. She should've considered that he'd probably never done this, and his track history with his own parents was so terrible that he might harbor bad feelings towards all parents.

She stopped after closing the bedroom door, turning back to it and reaching for the handle once again. He deserved a better apology than the half-assed one she had given him. He had every right to be upset. She didn't want him to call Clay.

Stupid Clay. She wanted him to express his fears to her, and have her comfort him. Not her dumb brother-in-law.

Just like he said, she wasn't being the best teammate.

She could hear him talking through the door, her head resting against it for a moment, before she turned back around and started heading down the stairs.

She found her parents in the kitchen, nosily looking through her cupboard and drawers.

"Hey," Haley said, smiling at the two of them, moving to embrace her mother in another hug.

"Oh, my sweet youngest child. Not so little anymore, are we?" Lydia said, hugging her tightly.

"Mom," Haley groaned, shaking her head. "Let's just forget that happened, okay?"

"Forgotten," Jimmy said quickly, holding up his hands and nodding at her.

"Thank you," Haley responded, letting out a deep breath and tucking her damp hair behind her ear. "Can I get you anything?"

"No, we already ate," Lydia informed her, nodding her head. "Didn't want to bother you with our surprise visit."

"Surprise being the key word there," Haley said, taking a step away and leaning against the countertop. "So what is it this time?"

"We're having another baby," Jimmy informed her, his arm dropping around his wife's shoulders.

"You've already tried that one on me," Haley responded, crossing her arms and laughing quietly.

"I told you that one never works, Jimmy..." Lydia shook her head, looking over at Haley. "Honestly, Haley, we're just here to see you."

"And all your siblings except Quinn are waiting in the RV, we're on our way to get her," Jimmy added, grinning at her.

"I don't believe that for a second. There would be some loud arguing going on outside," Haley laughed, rolling her eyes.

"Okay, well we're here to visit, but also to tell you that no one except Taylor could make it to our annual James family camp out reunion that was supposed to be in a few weeks, so we're rescheduling it for when you're done with summer school, Brandon can get off work, when Clay has a free minute, and all the kids will be done with summer school as well," Lydia informed her, nodding at her. "Everyone has a free schedule, so no excuses."

"Not that I don't love to see you guys, I really do, but you could've told us this over the phone... Is everything alright?" Haley asked, looking between them and raising her eyebrows.

"We just did this so if one of you is going to lie and make up and excuse, you'd have to look us in the eye and do it," Lydia told her, a sly smile forming on her face. "And, of course, we missed our little baby birds. It's not always fun being an empty nester."

Haley smiled slightly, nodding her head and shrugging. "Okay, well..."

"There you go, ready to make up an excuse. You kids all pretend that you hate this, but we're going. Once you're there you all usually have fun besides the occasional argument," Jimmy said, shaking his head and raising his eyebrows at her. "You can even bring your man candy."

"Oh no, I can't go," Haley responded, shaking her head and glancing up to the floor above them as if she could see Nathan pacing around the room.

"Why does that mean you can't go?" Lydia asked her, frowning slightly.

"Nathan has a bad back, there's no way he can sleep on the ground," Haley informed them, resting her hands on the countertop on either side of her.

"No way he can? Or are you just babying him?" Jimmy asked, smirking slightly at her.

"No way. Maybe he could do it for one night, but three nights is too many," She replied, tapping her hands lightly.

"So, what? You're never going to come ever again?" He asked her, frowning and looking over at Lydia.

"This is the first year in the last four years that we can get everyone there. Nathan can sleep on the couch in our RV," Lydia joked, raising her eyebrows and winking at her.

Haley sighed softly, glancing towards the entrance of the kitchen when she heard Nathan walking down the stairs. "We'll figure it out," She said, waving her hand dismissively.

"Nathan!" Lydia smiled when he entered the kitchen, nodding in his direction.

"Sorry about that, I had to make a phone call," Nathan said, sending her a smile in response. "And I'm also sorry about before, you caught me off guard. It's nice to officially meet you, Mr. and Mrs. James, I know we met and Clay's wedding, but it was more of a quick meet and greet," He said, holding out his hand.

Haley watched as both her mother and father shook his hand, a small smile forming on her face. It turned sheepish when she met his eyes, but his still seemed genuine which made her feel a little better.

"Sorry for stopping by unexpectedly, that's what you get in the James family. A whole lot of unexpected," Jimmy said, grinning at him. "You can call us Lydia and Mr. James, though."

Lydia smacked his arm, rolling her eyes. "A whole lot of jokes too. Please don't call us that."

"Jimmy," Her father corrected himself, laughing at his own teasing.

Haley pressed her hand to her face, shaking her head. "You two..." She grumbled, sighing softly. "Are you sure that I can't get you anything? I can make some coffee."

"Actually..." Lydia trailed off, tapping her chin. "I would love some coffee. I'm tired of the instant stuff we've been drinking lately."

Haley smiled at her mother, nodding her head. "You've got it. I'll go back in time to my barista days, just for you."

"You're a peach, Haley Bob," Lydia responded, winking at her. "Shall we?" She asked, gesturing out of the kitchen.

"Abandoning Haley to make coffee for us. Sounds just like the good old days," Jimmy hummed, offering Lydia his arm, which she gladly took, before heading out of the kitchen. "Come on, Nathan..." He called over his shoulder, grinning.

Nathan let out a deep breath, beginning to follow after them, before he paused when he was next to Haley. "Look, about earlier..."

Haley shook her head, resting her hand on his arm. "I'm sorry," She cut him off, sending him a small smile.

He nodded, pressing a kiss to her forehead, before following her parents out of the room.

Nathan took a seat on the opposite couch this time, leaving room for Haley to sit by her parents. He could feel their gazes and their questions coming before he even entered the room.

Haley's family didn't seem like the 'keep personal details quiet' type of family like his was. If you could even call his a family, of course.

"So, Nate, where are you from?" Jimmy asked him, raising his eyebrows. "Been dating my daughter for a few months now, time that we all know each other."

"Stanford, California," Nathan replied, offering him a small smile.

"Interesting, interesting..." Lydia said, nodding at him. "And you and Haley seemed to know each other before the wedding, correct?"

Jeez. Haley really didn't share much with her family. Maybe she kept things quiet because they always came back to her in the form of teasing. Or maybe, it brought a smirk to his face, she'd been too busy with him to even give it a second thought.

"Uh, yeah. We had met before," Nathan responded, rubbing his neck. "When we were in high school..."

Jimmy and Lydia sent each other a confused look, before looking back over at Nathan. "Where?"

"When she was in California touring Stanford," He confirmed, shrugging his shoulders.

"Oh my lord," Lydia gasped, looking at Jimmy's still confused expression. "You're the hottie that she told me all about!"

"Guilty," Nathan responded, holding up his hands and laughing quietly.

"Why didn't she tell me all about this hottie?" Jimmy asked in mock-offense, looking at Lydia.

"Oh, please," Lydia rolled her eyes and laughed. "You would've told everyone!"

"So would you!" Jimmy argued with her.

"I know how to keep a secret," Lydia hummed in response, looking over at Nathan. "My, my... Haley does not exaggerate when she tells a story. Or in this case she didn't."

"You've seen the boy before, Lydia. Don't act like this is the first time you've ever laid eyes on him," Jimmy grumbled, shaking his head.

"Oh, honey. This is no boy, this is a man," Lydia gestured towards Nathan, a grin on her face.

"I heard that, Mom!" Haley called out from the kitchen. "If I go in there and you're feeling him up, we'll have words!"

Lydia laughed, leaning into her husband's side. "Okay, Haley! I'll feel up your father instead!" She called back, looking at Nathan and rolling her eyes. "We have to keep our voices down."

Nathan couldn't help but grin at the banter between mother and daughter. The James family seemed to be full of comedians. And after knowing the two people in front of him for only a short time, he could tell where it came from.

"Let me be serious for one second, and then trust me, you won't hear a word about it again. And we have to do it quick," Lydia said, looking at him. "You make Haley happier than I've ever seen her in my life. But, on the contrary, I don't like it when any of my children call me crying because they just broke up with their boyfriend because he was being an asshat, abridged version, of course."

Nathan nodded quickly, looking at her. "I've grown a lot with Haley, I'm in love with her. You don't need to worry about us, Mrs. James. Trust me, I thought I was different a few months ago, but now I feel like a completely changed man. I needed her to pull my head out of my ass a break up with me so that I could appreciate her more than I ever did."

"She likes to fix people," Jimmy added, nodding. "But she breaks herself in the process."

Nathan nodded his head, letting out a deep breath. "I love her," He said once again, sending them a small smile.

"We just wanted to get that out of the way right away," Lydia said, smiling at him. "We're done now, of course. Now we can get back to our fun weekend."

Haley walked in a second later, looking between the couches. "What are you talking about?"

"I remember you telling me that this California boy had a nipple piercing, so I was just about it ask him if it hurt or not," Lydia said, looking over at Nathan and raising her eyebrows.

"Mother!" Haley groaned, handing each of her parents a cup of coffee, before taking a seat next to Nathan.

Nathan laughed, letting his arm rest on the couch behind Haley, shaking his head. "That was an act of rebellion. I've tamed out a bit. I don't have it anymore."

"That didn't answer my question. Jimmy, did you hear an answer to my question?" Lydia asked, raising her eyebrows at her husband.

Jimmy shook his head, looking at his wife, "Honestly, dear, there are about a million things that I'd rather discuss than our daughter's boyfriend's nipples..."

Haley sighed, looking up at Nathan and rolling her eyes.

Nathan smiled down at her. She had the exact same eye roll as her mother, which he'd already seen plenty of times. Just about any time Jimmy James said anything, Lydia was rolling her eyes jokingly.

"No conversation is off limits. Welcome to my whole entire life, Nathan Scott," Haley said, patting his leg and looking towards her bickering parents.

xxxx

Haley watched Nathan as he walked around the bedroom, navy basketball shorts low on his waist, torso on full display for her to admire. Silently, of course.

"Hey..." She said, closing the book in her hands and setting it on the night stand beside her. "I'm sorry about before, Nathan."

"Me too," Nathan responded, looking at her as he climbed into bed next to her, leaning back against the headboard.

"Please let me get out my apology, you have nothing to apologize for," She said quickly, resting her hand on his arm. "I'm sorry I didn't warn you. I kind of guessed that you'd be nervous and I didn't want to scare you over nothing. I really should've told you."

"I know that all parents aren't as awful as mine, but if I ever found a pair that were... I don't think I'd be able to hold myself back, Haley," He said, nodding at her. "Clay told me that they're awesome, though. And they'll take anyone in."

"I could've told you that," She said weakly, still a little envious that her brother in law had been his phone call of choice instead of him vocalizing his concerns to her.

"Yeah," He responded, shifting his gaze to his lap, rubbing his neck. "I miss him," He admitted, sighing softly.

She wondered briefly, very briefly, if she could ever fill the space in his heart that was held by his best friend. Clay had been Nathan's go to man, seen him through some of the hardest moments of his life. And she loved Clay, she really did. But could she fill his shoes?

Wow, this was a little pathetic. Was she actually jealous over Clay?

"Do you regret leaving New York?" She asked him softly, raising her eyebrows.

Nathan looked at her, leaning forward and kissing her lightly.

"Not for a second," He responded, scooting closer to her and wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "Sure, I miss Clay and Chase. Sure, I'm going to do everything in my power to get them to move here. But, I'd miss you more."

Haley let out a deep breath, allowing her moment of insecurity to pass, resting her head against Nathan's shoulder. "I'm sorry for not telling you..."

"It's alright," He responded, smiling down at her. "You really love your parents, but you sure as hell don't tell them things."

"You've met them now, you know why," She mumbled, closing her eyes. "I tell them what they need to know."

"Do we live together?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows.

"Kind of," She responded, biting her lip, shifting onto her side lightly, looking up at him and resting her hand on his stomach.

"Okay," He replied, smiling slightly. "They made sure that I love and appreciate you the way you deserve."

"Not for them to decide, but you exceed anything I could've hoped for," She murmured, sitting up straighter and kissing his cheek.

He let out a deep breath, removing his arm from around her. "Will you go get me a drink of water?"

"I'm all comfortable in bed," She laughed, shaking her head and looking up at him.

"You're wearing more clothes than I am," Nathan whined, nodding at her. He slid down the bed until his head hit the pillow, looking up at her sitting form. "Now I'm all comfortable in bed."

"Put a shirt on and do it yourself," She laughed, picking up her book once again.

Haley watched as he shuffled around beneath the covers, before he held his basketball shorts up, throwing them into the laundry hamper.

"One of us has to turn the light off anyways," He reminded her, grinning up at her.

"Those were clean shorts, Nathan," She said, poking his chest. She reached under the covers, finding the waistband of his boxer-briefs, lifting it and snapping it back into his skin.

"Hey!" He whined, grabbing onto her hand, tugging on it and nuzzling his nose into her arm. "I love you."

Haley looked down at him, standing up slowly and shaking her head. "Okay, okay..." She said, walking over to the laundry hamper, pulling his shorts out and folding them neatly before placing them back in the drawer. She glanced over her shoulder at him and his ridiculous smirk, walking out of the room.

She ventured down the stairs, pushing her hand through her hair. She walked past the guest room on her way to the kitchen, pausing for a moment as she heard her parents talk.

She normally wouldn't have done this, but she was a little curious if Nathan would be brought up in the conversation. No word on him, but instead she heard something that made her smile even bigger.

Her father was telling her mom a joke. Not just any joke, of course. The very same joke that Nathan us called her on her way home from school, right before practice started just so he could tell her that same joke. Her dad must've heard it from him.

Haley bit her lip, heading into the kitchen and filling up a glass with ice water, turning to head back upstairs to the man that she would consider to be the love of her life.

She stepped back into the room, and instead of feeling annoyed by the sight in front of her, it just made her feel complete.

Nathan was asleep, lights still on of course, sometimes the man could sleep through anything, but sometimes he was the lightest sleeper in the whole world. In the time it took her to get him some water, he'd crashed. Almost as if he didn't want to be awake if she wasn't in the room with him.

Turning off the lights, she quietly walked over to her side of the bed where the lamp was still shining. Probably courtesy of her knight as well, because she had not turned it on before leaving the room.

She'd always heard jokes about how women hog the bed, and while that was sometimes true for them, the majority of the time it was whoever went to bed first. Almost as if the person asleep was searching for the one who wasn't.

And it held true tonight. Nathan was stretched out, his hand resting in the spot where she would normally lay next to him.

This was what she wanted. This was her Romeo. Superman to her Lois Lane. The Jim to her Pam. Her other half was lying there, waiting for her.

Maybe one day people would refer to their counterpart as the Nathan to their Haley.


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter 39**

"What do I do if they ask me about my family?" Nathan whispered into the phone, glancing down at the sleeping woman next to him.

"Just say it's complicated," Clay responded, chuckling quietly. "You can breath, Nathan... They're normal people."

"But they're Haley's people. Brooke barely tolerates me, and she's the only one that I've met," Nathan returned, rubbing his hand down his face.

"You've met her guy friends," Clay said, letting out a deep breath. "You're going to be just fine, buddy. Haley will protect you."

"I handled it last night, Clay. But I just feel all the nerves and anxieties this morning, it woke me up..." Nathan said, resting his hand on his neck to feel his pulse.

"I know, Nathan, that's why we're on the phone at six in the morning," Clay responded, laughing quietly.

"I don't know how to do this, Clay..." Nathan whispered, glancing over at Haley again.

"You did it already, Nate. The hard part is over. You've met them, I'm sure that they already love you," Clay assured him.

"They probably see tons of red flags. I'm full of red flags," Nathan gripped the comforter over his legs.

"Breathe, you're getting yourself worked up," Clay whispered to him, taking in a deep breath himself to demonstrate.

Nathan took a moment to follow Clay's lead, breathing along with him.

"I've seen you let this thought become a reality, so if you randomly get up and fly back to New York, you will lose Haley. You can bounce back when you've known each other for three weeks and you weren't even dating, but after this long, you'll lose her. So don't you dare do that," Clay said quickly.

"I'm not going to do that," Nathan responded, shoving his hand into his hair. "I just... I don't know how to meet parents."

"Hey, broken record. Listen to me, you've already met them. You're golden. They're amazing, quirky, but amazing. In fact, I hope they stop by our place," Clay reassured him. "You're going to be fine. But you know what, Nathan, why don't you go on a run? That calms your mind."

"Good idea," Nathan responded, letting out a small sigh.

"But don't forget to take your-"

"I know."

When Haley heard Clay reminding Nathan to take his medication, she could've ripped the phone out of his hand and threw it across the room. But that would definitely give herself away. She had not been sleeping for even longer than Nathan hadn't. How the hell could she when he was rolling around the bed, moving it every second?

When he sat up, she was about to say something, but before she'd even had the chance, he called his number one on speed dial.

She'd felt her chest tighten at the whole conversation. This was going to start being a thing again. Instead of her getting to be the one he talked to first, she'd be second after Clay told him to talk to her.

Hell, if she woke up at six every morning to those two on the phone, she'd be like a ticking time bomb, and eventually explode. She would quite literally rip the phone out of his hands and throw it.

"Remember, Nathan. You're going to be fine. You're surrounded by people that love you, myself included in that..." Clay said into the phone.

It had been one day that he had not opened up to her. But she missed it already. The intimate connection, feeling like he trusted her with his biggest worries. She could really hate Clay by the end of the weekend.

She felt Nathan's hand rub over her arm lightly, and she wanted to pull away. But, she had to remind herself that her anger wasn't towards Nathan. It shouldn't be towards anyone at all, really. He felt more comfortable expressing his fears to Clay at the moment.

Dammit, when Nathan got upset it shook her to her core. It wasn't the actual conversation and frustration towards her that shook her. No, it was the aftermath. He'd closed part of himself off to her.

At this rate, she was going to be walking on egg shells forever. Because this made her feel miserable.

"Okay, I'll call you later..." Nathan said in the phone, ending the call and dropping it into this lap, looking straight ahead.

'I'll call you later.' Haley wasn't sure if there were four other words that could frustrate her this much at this point.

Nathan started to get out of bed when Haley rolled over so she was facing him, her hand shooting forward and grabbing his wrist.

"Where are you going?" She asked him quietly, looking up at him, her eyes already adjusted to the dark room.

"I'm going to go on a run before it gets too hot," He informed her, a small smile forming on his face.

He wasn't even upset anymore. Just distant.

"Can I come?" Haley asked him, sitting up slowly.

He raised his eyebrows in surprise, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Sure, I mean, if you want to?"

"I do," She responded, climbing out of bed quickly.

Nathan followed her lead, and each of them got ready to go out on a run.

When they stepped outside, Nathan looked over at Haley, a smirk forming on his face. His eyes quickly glanced over her. Damn, she looked good. It was still a little dark outside, the sun about to rise, and she was the perfect picture in front of him.

"Stop staring, Nathan," Haley laughed, pushing on his side lightly.

"I've seen you wearing this before, but damn, baby... You are fine," He laughed, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "Let's just see if you can keep up with me, hm?"

"I won't be able to," She said, shaking her head. "So you can either lap me a couple of times, or stay with me."

"I'll run behind you so I can see all of this in action. Do you want to just walk to the park?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows.

"No way," She said, gesturing around. "It's already getting hot and humid. We're going as quick as we can."

"You didn't have to come," He chuckled, pulling her into a hug, resting his chin on top of her head.

"I want to spend time with you," She informed him, wrapping her arms around his waist for a moment, before pushing him back. "Let's go."

Nathan chuckled quietly, taking off in a slow jog, glancing over at Haley when she caught his side.

After running for quite some time, they came to a stop in front of the house again.

Nathan turned to her, a grin forming on his face as he watched her try to control her breathing. "Hales?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Give me a minute," She responded, holding up her hand to him. "You run faster and harder than I do."

"I'm sorry," He chuckled, taking a step towards her. "I also do it almost every day, and you don't."

"It's not like I never exercise though," She pointed out, taking in a slow, deep breath, resting her fingers on the pulse on her neck.

Nathan laughed again, pulling her into a hug, kissing her forehead.

"Nathan, don't hug me right now," She groaned, pushing on his chest. "I'm all sweaty and out of breath."

"Oh, please," He said, shaking his head. "You act like this is the first time I've made you all sweaty and out of breath."

"Ha. Ha, very funny," Haley grumbled, squeezing her eyes shut. She looked up at him after a second, escaping his embrace and grabbing onto his hand, beginning to back up towards the house.

"What?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows when she batted her eyelashes at him.

"I guarantee my parents are still asleep. What do you say we make up for our lost shower time yesterday?" She asked him, biting her lip.

"Hard pass," He said, shaking his head and planting his feet so she couldn't pull him any further.

"Why not?" She asked him, stepping towards him and raising her eyebrows.

"Because, it's weird," He laughed, glancing towards the house.

"Come on, Nathan..." She said, winking at him, a sly grin forming on her face.

"Are you okay?" Nathan asked her, frowning at her. He took a small step back to put some distance between them, resting his hand on her shoulder.

"What do you mean?" Haley responded, eyebrows knitting together in confusion.

"Something is off," He responded, searching her eyes for answers. "You're acting different."

"I'm fine," She responded quickly, her confusion turning into a scowl. "Are you okay?" She returned his question, hoping that maybe a direct question would encourage him to open up to her.

"Yeah, I'm fine," He said, shrugging his shoulders. "As long as you're doing alright, I'm doing alright."

Sweet response, if she believed him.

Haley let out a deep breath, nodding her head at him. "Okay, let's just go inside, hm? We have a big day ahead of us. Picking out a puppy and all."

He laughed, grabbing onto her hand once again, heading inside slowly.

Much to her surprise, her parents were already awake. She could hear them inside her kitchen making breakfast.

Nathan smiled at her, before making a break for the stairs so that he could shower before her.

Haley rolled her eyes, laughing quietly and watching him go, before walking into the kitchen. "I'm surprised to see you two up this early."

"Not as surprised as we are," Jimmy responded, grinning at her. "Running now, are we?"

"Don't make fun," Haley said, shaking her head, taking a seat next to her mother at the bar built into the kitchen counter.

"And Nathan?" Lydia asked her, looking over and raising her eyebrows.

"He went to shower," Haley responded, shrugging her shoulders.

"Ah, why don't you go join him?" Lydia teased her, a grin forming on her face.

"Hey! You promised yesterday you wouldn't bring that up again," Haley said, shaking her head and letting out a sigh.

"Last time," Lydia replied, smiling at her and shrugging her shoulders, thanking her husband when he set a plate in front of her.

"What are you plans for the day, Haley?" Jimmy asked, setting a plate in front of her as well.

"Nathan and I were planning on going to the shelter to find a dog," Haley informed them, smiling brightly. "And you two are welcome to join us."

"A dog?" Jimmy responded, raising his eyebrows. "Running, adopting a dog together, what next?"

"I don't know if we're necessarily adopting it together," She said, shrugging her shoulders.

"We need to start asking Quinn questions about you more often," He replied, leaning against the counter top in front of her. "Any ring shopping in the works?"

"Dad!" Haley shook her head quickly, holding up her hand to silence him. "I'm going to stop you right there, okay?"

"Sorry, sorry..." Jimmy trailed off, shrugging his shoulders.

"Yikes, glad it was you and not me," Lydia laughed, nudging Haley with her arm. "To be fair, you are pretty quiet about your life."

"And it's no surprise why," Haley grumbled, turning her focus onto her food. "I love him, okay? We're just enjoying our lives, being in love. That's really all there is to it."

"Aye-aye, Captain," Jimmy responded, chuckling quietly.

Haley ate quietly while her parents openly talked about her and their other children, feeling a little bit like high school again when she was the only child home.

After a while, she realized that Nathan was taking an awfully long time.

She let out a small sigh, standing from her seat, gesturing for her father to fill it. She put her plate in the dishwasher, telling her parents that she'd be right back, heading up the stairs.

Haley stopped in front of her bedroom door when she heard laughter coming from inside, rolling her eyes and pushing open the door slowly.

Nathan laid on the bed, freshly showered, his phone leaning against his ear while he tossed a basketball up in the air.

Dammit, did he ever get off the phone with Clay? She had not really realized how much it bothered her until now.

"Who are you talking to?" She bit out in a more harsh tone than she intended.

Nathan kinked his eyebrows in confusion, looking at her. "Lucas called me, but Lily kicked him off," He informed her. "Lily, say hi to Haley..." He trailed off, putting the phone on speaker phone.

Haley bit down on her tongue, feeling like a bit of an ass for a moment, letting out a deep breath when she heard the young girl greet her.

"Hi, Lily..." She responded, looking at Nathan's still confused face. She grabbed some clothes and a towel, before heading into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

"Listen, Lily, I'll talk to you later. Tell Luke I say goodbye," Nathan chuckled, hanging up the phone after a second. He sat up slowly, pushing the basketball into the corner of the room. He walked up to the bathroom door, pushing it open slowly.

"Haley, are you okay?" He asked her, sighing softly, leaning against the door frame.

"Yeah, Nathan. I'm fine, really..." She trailed off, letting out a deep breath from inside the shower, pushing her hand through her hair.

"Alright," He said, tapping his fingers against the wood, stepping out and closing the door behind him, rubbing the back of his head. He scooped up his phone, heading out of the room and down the stairs.

xxxx

Nothing confused Nathan more than the chatter that was going on in the back seat, versus the silence in the front seat.

Haley had suddenly become very quiet, and had not said much the whole drive, when he thought she would be bouncing off the walls.

Luckily her parents couldn't seem to sense the odd tension in the car.

He watched as her gaze focused on the road in front of her, both hands stuck on the steering wheel like they were glued there.

He reached over slowly, his hand coming to rest on her leg, smiling at her when she glanced at him.

"And that's the story of when we had to drag our seventeen year old son out of the party by his shirt collar because he wouldn't stop being a brat," Jimmy laughed, finishing up his story that Nathan really had not been paying attention to, though he wish he had been because he felt like a deer in headlights.

He let out a laugh that he hoped didn't sound forced.

"I told you that story wasn't funny, Jimmy," Lydia said, shaking her head. "He didn't even laugh, just did it politely."

"No, mom, it's funny, I've just told Nathan that story before," Haley informed her, glancing at her mom in the rear view mirror.

He'd definitely never heard that story before, but thankfully his girlfriend saved his bacon with her quick response.

"What kind of dog are you getting?" Lydia asked, leaning forward and poking her head between the two of them.

"I don't have a specific breed or look in mind," Haley hummed, smiling slightly, one hand dropping down to rest on top of Nathan's.

"If it's yappy, I might have to move out," Nathan joked, turning his hand so his palm was facing upwards, lacing their fingers together.

"Keep making jokes like that and I might kick you out," Haley responded, smiling over at him.

"Yes, dear," Nathan replied, before turning in his seat and smirking back at Lydia and Jimmy, who were laughing in the back at his response.

When Haley pulled into the parking lot, she looked over at Nathan, a huge grin on her face.

Finally, the grin Nathan had been waiting for. The grin that made Nathan want to grab her face and kiss her senseless because of how happy she looked.

"Ready?" He asked her, grinning at her in return, winking.

"Hell yes," Haley said, getting out of the car quickly.

Nathan followed behind her, glancing over his shoulder at Lydia and Jimmy, who were still getting out of the car while Haley was practically at the door.

"This is our fault, we should've just let her get a dog when she was kid," Lydia laughed, shaking her head and looking at Nathan, who was waiting for them. She waved her hand to tell him to continue after her.

Nathan let out a deep breath, turning and jogging over to Haley, meeting her with a smile.

He slid his hand into hers, raising his eyebrows at her. "You're about to have your first child, Haley James. How does it feel?"

Haley laughed, looking up at him and rolling her eyes. "Amazing," She responded, squeezing his hand lightly. As soon as her parents reached them, she tugged Nathan inside quickly.

xxxx

Haley wanted to take home every dog she saw. Puppy, full grown, it didn't matter. She wanted them all. And Nathan was not being helpful, because when she asked him what he thought, all he would do was smile at her.

Her parents liked every dog too, so that wasn't helpful to her either.

But when a stocky, nine-week old labrador and border collie puppy named Scout was placed in front of her, there was no saying to him. He was black, with white a white chest and white paws. He had floppy ears and deep blue eyes.

Not to mention he ran right up to her immediately, almost tripping over his own paws and began licking the hell out of her.

After getting everything in order, they were on their way home. Nathan opted to drive so that Haley could sit and hold Scout.

They were currently sitting outside a pet store, Nathan rushing inside to get a few things while Haley sat with her parents.

"So, what are the odds you picked a puppy that looks just like your boyfriend?" Jimmy laughed, raising his eyebrows at his daughter.

Haley looked over her shoulder, before looking down at Scout. "What do you mean?"

"Dark fur, blue eyes. Haley has a type, even when it comes to dogs," Lydia hummed, shrugging her shoulders.

"Well they're both pretty cute," Haley responded, scratching her fingers behind the puppy's ear.

"That they are," Lydia hummed, reaching into the front seat and petting Scout. "Nathan especially."

"Whatever you're going to say, Mom, just say it. I can hear a follow up tone in your voice," Haley laughed, looking over her shoulder at her.

"We like him, Haley," Jimmy said, nodding at her. "We promise you that. He helps you let loose. You were getting tightly wound there for awhile, especially towards the end of your relationship with Chris."

"Plus we couldn't help but notice your interesting tattoo when you put your plate in the dishwasher this morning," Lydia hummed, winking at her. "Guess you and Taylor aren't too far off from each other?"

Haley raised her eyebrows, shaking her head. "It's just a tattoo," She said, shrugging her shoulders.

"This interesting thing is, that Brooke Davis has begged you for years to get some sort of matching tattoo with her, but you always said no," Jimmy said, grinning at her.

"Okay, let's get away from this subject," Haley laughed, looking at them. "You headed to Quinn's next?"

"Probably," Lydia hummed, smiling slightly. "We'll pick up our previous conversation later, don't worry. Prince Charming has returned, with a cart full of stuff."

"That was quick..." Haley trailed off, looking back out the windshield to confirm that Nathan was walking towards the car, with a cart full of both soft puppy food, and normal puppy food, toys, a bed, pretty much anything a dog could need. More than anything a dog could need.

"You didn't get anything at all?" Jimmy asked, raising his eyebrows. "Unlike you, Bob..."

"I wasn't sure what kind of dog we were going to get. It could've been full grown, so I didn't want to get something too small or too big," Haley hummed, stroking her hand down the curious puppy's back.

Nathan quickly heaved everything into the trunk, put the cart away, before hurrying back into the car. "Hi, Scout," He hummed, holding his hand out and letting Scout playfully bite at it.

"Got enough stuff?" Haley laughed, raising her eyebrows.

"I would've bought the whole store for this little guy," Nathan said, smiling at her, before shifting his gaze down to the puppy once again.

"You two are smitten," Jimmy laughed, shaking his head. "Take me back to your house, I'm tall and tired of sitting in this back seat."

"Yes, sir," Nathan said, letting out a deep breath, sending Haley one more glance, before heading home.

xxxx

After returning home, Lydia and Jimmy went out to get them all some food from the place they claimed was "the best place in town", which Haley rolled her eyes at but had a grin on her face nonetheless, Nathan and Haley set up everything for the new furry friend in their house. They let Scout explore the new area, while keeping a close eye on him of course.

Nathan could still tell there was something bothering Haley a little bit, and he just wished he could figure it out. But the puppy served as a good distraction as conversation topic for both of them. He figured they'd talk about it when her parents left.

Now they were sitting in the dining room, eating their food while Scout slept on the bed in the corner, obviously worn out from the new, exciting day.

Nathan listened to the story that Lydia and Jimmy were telling this time, deciding he should at least be able to remember some of them. His hand came to a rest on Haley's knee under the table, stretching his fingers out to lightly stroke his fingertips along the smooth skin below her knee, before brushing them up to the hem of her jean shorts.

He really just wanted her to relax. She seemed a little bit stressed out, and he hoped it wasn't from their argument the day prior. It was most likely because he parents didn't really hold back from what he could tell.

"So, Nathan, tell us a bit more about yourself," Jimmy said, setting his fork down and smiling over at him, raising his eyebrows.

And just like that Haley was tense again, her hand moving to stop his and grip onto his wrist lightly.

"Ah, right..." Nathan cleared his throat, looking over at Haley and offering her a small smile. "Well, I'm from California. I really like basketball," He chuckled, shrugging. "There's not much to me."

"And your parents, are they still in California?" Lydia asked him, nodding at him.

"Mom..." Haley warned quietly, letting out a deep breath and offering her a small head shake.

Nathan shifted slightly, giving Haley's leg a squeeze to let her know that he was fine, his smile shifting to a more sheepish one. "Um, no," He informed them, shrugging. "My parents have both passed away. But yes, they were living in California up until that point."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Lydia said quickly, shaking her head. "I had no idea."

"No, it's really alright," Nathan chuckled, waving his hand to dismiss it. "I don't talk about them often."

Haley looked over at Nathan's face as he eased the conversation into another topic, letting out a breath of relief. Wanting to keep Nathan's trust, she had not relayed information about his past to her parents. They knew he played college basketball but he had been injured. They knew little details about him, just enough to answer their questions but nothing that was too personal.

It was very relieving to her that he'd answered the question easily, and then moved to another topic. He was good at putting on an act, that was for sure.

And he went right back to stroking his fingertips up and down her leg again, without skipping a beat pretty much. Maybe he was alright.

"And your brother is Lucas Scott, correct?" Jimmy asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Yes," Nathan confirmed, nodding his head. "We have the same father, but different mothers."

"Is he older, younger?" Lydia asked, looking at him.

"He's three months older than me," Nathan confirmed, shrugging his shoulders. "As you can guess, we were both accidents," He chuckled, looking over at Haley.

"All of our kids were accidents too. We originally wanted no kids," Jimmy joked, winking at Haley, before shaking his head. "Kidding, of course."

Haley laughed, rolling her eyes and smiling at her parents. "Oh, damn... I thought you were actually serious," She said sarcastically.

"Attitude," Lydia laughed, shaking her head. "How's the basketball team doing, Nathan?"

"There's room for improvement," Nathan chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. "The last coach really didn't care about them. If I continue coaching, I'm going to have to enforce some stricter rules. It's just a camp right now, but the starting lineup is going to need some work done this upcoming season."

"And are you enjoying it?" Lydia asked, raising her eyebrows.

Haley looked over at Nathan expectantly, a question that she was curious about as well.

"I think so," Nathan replied, nodding his head. "I didn't really like it at first, but I don't mind it much anymore."

"How does Tree Hill compare to your high school?" Jimmy asked, looking at him.

"We were way better at basketball," Nathan chuckled, squeezing Haley's leg lightly.

"I think they could get there, though... With Nathan's coaching," Haley hummed, smiling over at her boyfriend.

"That was suffocating, Haley Bob," Jimmy laughed, shaking his head and grinning at her.

"Get used to it," Haley laughed, leaning forward and kissing Nathan's cheek lightly.

Nathan smiled, looking over at her and letting out a deep breath. He met her eyes, and couldn't stop himself from leaning forward and pressing a kiss to her forehead.

Lydia and Jimmy exchanged a look at the interaction between Nathan and Haley, smiles forming on both their faces.

"We're going to head out tomorrow, Haley, I hope that's alright," Lydia said, nodding at her.

"Are you sure?" Haley asked them, raising her eyebrows. "You're welcome to stay as long as you want."

"Oh believe us when we say that's how long we want to stay," Jimmy joked, laughing quietly.

"No, we dropped by unexpected and we have to go do the same thing to Quinn," Lydia laughed, shrugging her shoulders. "Word of advice to both of you, when you retire, buy a RV and travel the country. It's very freeing."

Nathan chuckled, nodding his head. "That sounds like something that I'll never be able to talk Haley into doing," He informed them, looking over at Haley.

Haley felt her heart pound at his words. That meant he saw them together when they retired. It wasn't a big surprise, of course, because she thought about the future from time to time as well. But it felt damn good to hear it.

"She's never been super spontaneous," Jimmy said, shaking his head. "That's probably our fault. We forced her to do so many things and now that she's in control, she's a planner."

"Hey, I'm right here," Haley laughed, resting her hand on Nathan's shoulder.

"We love you, Haley, you know that. And your planned out ways," Lydia laughed, winking at her. "You know you're our favorite."

"There it is," Haley said, rolling her eyes playfully. "You can never go a full weekend without throwing that line in there. You have to say that to all of your kids."

"Hey, you're all our favorites," Jimmy defended, chuckling quietly and shrugging his shoulders. "None of you have anything super special you excel in," He joked.

"Oh, hell, Jimmy!" Lydia laughed, pushing on his shoulder. "What he means to say is that you're all special in your own way."

"Right," Jimmy corrected himself, looking at Haley and nodding.

Nathan chuckled quietly, standing up slowly. "Can I take your plates?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"You most certainly can," Lydia hummed, holding her plate up to Nathan.

Nathan smiled appreciatively, before taking his own plate and Lydia's as well. He went to grab Haley's, but she'd already beat him to it, reaching for her dad's dish, and heading into the kitchen.

He followed after her, letting out a deep breath and stepping up next to her by the sink.

"Are you having fun?" Haley asked him, looking over and raising her eyebrows.

"I'm having a great time," He informed her, smiling down at her. "Your parents are great."

"I know," She laughed, glancing over to the entrance of the dining room. "I'm sorry they asked about your parents."

"It's a normal question," He said, shrugging his shoulders and looking down at her. "Listen, Hales..." He trailed off, reaching for her hands to stop them while she cleared off the plate to put in the dishwasher. "You can tell them whatever you need to tell them. I can't, but if they ask you, go ahead and tell them."

"Nathan, I don't have to do that. It's your life, they don't need to know all about it," She said quickly, shaking her head.

"I want them to know if they ask you. I don't want the pity, of course. But I can handle it," He said simply, shrugging her shoulders. "I'm in love with you, Haley..." He whispered, nodding at her. "So I want your family to know me."

Haley bit her lip, moving her hand that was still in the running water up to his cheek, cupping the side of his face and pulling him down into a deep kiss.

Nathan allowed his hands to resting on her waist, pulling her closer to him.

When they parted, Haley smiled up at him, letting out a deep breath. "I love you too, Nathan."

"Glad to hear it," He chuckled, turning towards the sink. "I'm going to give you some time with them as well. But that also means I'm taking Scout upstairs with me."

She laughed, resting her head on his shoulder briefly, nodding her head. "Thank you, Nathan."

Nathan kissed the top of her head, and started to load the dishes into the dishwasher, letting out a deep breath. He joined his hand with hers once they were finished, leading her back into the dining room.

"Alright," He began, clearing his throat. "I have a couple of things that I need to do, so I'm going to head upstairs for a little while."

Haley watched as he nodded at each of her parents, walking over to where their new puppy was sleeping and scooping him up, cuddling him close. He smiled over at her, then walked up the stairs.

Haley took a seat at the table once again, raising her eyebrows at her parents.

"We already told you that we like him, what more do you want?" Jimmy laughed, shaking his head.

"I didn't even say anything..." Haley laughed, smiling at them and shrugging her shoulders. "You know, I really do miss you guys."

Lydia smiled, reaching across the table and grabbing onto her hand. "We miss you too, Haley. A lot, actually..." She hummed, nodding at her.

"My whole life I've been looking for the love that you two have, and I always seem to end up with the worst guys... But I feel like I've found it," She said softly, letting out a deep breath. "It hasn't been easy, and I know it won't be easy in the future, but I've found someone who not only loves me, but he loves loving me. And I love loving him."

"You two adore each other. I've seen it since Quinn's wedding, and you barely knew each other then," Lydia laughed, nodding at her.

"We're glad you found it, Haley," Jimmy added, smiling at her. "We don't care who any of you guys end up with, if you guys end up with anyone at all, we care that you're happy. And it's pretty clear to us that you are."

"I've achieved a level of happiness that I never thought I would," Haley said, tucking her hair behind her ear. "If I want something, he encourages me to do it. Look at where we are, in my house. I've wanted to move out of my apartment forever, but Chris never once encouraged me, never cared about it or had an opinion on the situation."

"Chris was a good guy, but he was too into himself, which you can't be when you're in a partnership," Lydia said, nodding at her and smiling brightly. "Watching you talk about him shows us how much you love him too. Your whole face lights up."

"My whole heart lights up," Haley joked, winking at them and letting out a deep breath.

"Oh, hell..." Jimmy groaned, shaking his head. "I'm going to get a cavity from how sweet that was. Way too cheesy, Bob."

"Get used to it, Dad. This is the new me," Haley laughed, leaning back in her chair and shrugging.

Jimmy smiled, nodding. "Happiness suits you."

"Thank you," Haley hummed, tapping her fingers on the table and letting out a deep breath.

"I wish you would've warned me about his parents," Lydia commented, raising her eyebrows at Haley.

"Right..." Haley sighed, shifting slightly in her chair. "He's a little bit private when it comes to his life."

"Can I ask what happened?" Lydia asked, looking at her and frowning.

"Normally, no, but he did say that I could tell you guys," Haley responded, clearing her throat. "His mother took her own life a little over two years ago, and his father died of a heart attack last year."

It was quiet for a moment, Haley's gaze looking between her parents' paled faces.

"That's devastating," Jimmy finally said, letting out a deep breath, nodding slowly.

Haley glanced toward the doorway that Nathan had disappeared from, squeezing her eyes shut for a brief moment, before looking at her parents again. "Yes it is," She responded, sighing softly. "He doesn't like to talk about it though, so don't bring it up. Just be... Friendly. So normal for you two."

"Oh, we would never. I'm thankful that he felt like he could trust us, though..." Lydia said, reaching across the table and grabbing onto Haley's hand.

"He shows me a side of him that he doesn't show anyone else, and that's one of the things that I love most about him," Haley said softly, letting out a deep breath. "He's been through a lot. I think he figured you guys wanted to know, so he decided to go upstairs and let us talk for a little bit about it."

"We don't want to delve too deep into his personal life if he would rather keep it quiet," Lydia said, sending her a small smile. "We just want to get to know him better."

"He's more than his parents, though. That's something I won't talk about, but let me just tell you that they were not good to him. So... He might be a little hesitant sometimes," Haley said softly, nodding at them. "So please, take it easy on him for a little while."

"We're full of jokes, but we know when to cool it," Jimmy reminded her, offering her a thumbs up.

"You've been great so far," Haley informed them, smiling at her parents.

"So far?" Lydia raised her eyebrows, laughing. "Expecting us to push it too far?"

"No, no..." Haley said quickly. "I mean, occasionally you will take it too far, like when you made Jared explode over bumping his elbow when he was drinking when you already knew he was having a moment."

"Vivian made us call him and apologize for an hour," Jimmy winced, shaking his head.

"But you generally know when to stop. I was just worried because you don't really know Nathan, or his situation. But he seems to be enjoying your company," Haley commented, smiling at them.

Maybe they should call Clay and double check on that though.

Okay, Haley, now was not the time to get all snippy and jealous.

"Now what was that look?" Lydia asked her, raising her eyebrows and laughing.

"What look?" Haley responded, shrugging her shoulders.

"I didn't see a look..." Jimmy trailed off, looking over at his wife.

"There was a look. It was quick, but it was there," Lydia said, shaking her finger at Haley. "I have four daughters, Haley, don't think I don't notice looks."

"I didn't notice it, and I have four daughters," Jimmy added, looking at Haley.

"There wasn't a look," Haley defended herself, shaking her head.

"Okay, I'll believe you for right now, but I'll get it out of you later," Lydia informed her, sighing softly.

"Why don't you go get Nathan again?" Jimmy asked, raising his eyebrows. "Unless we still plan on talking about things he's sent you to talk about because he feels uncomfortable doing so."

"No, I can go get him," Haley said, standing up slowly. She headed towards the stairs, pausing when she exited the doorway to listen to her parents hushed voices.

"What the hell kind of look are you talking about?" Jimmy asked Lydia.

"Oh for the love of..." Lydia shook her head. "If you didn't notice it, you won't notice it."

"I can pick up on looks," Jimmy stated matter-of-factly.

"Of course you can, honey..." Lydia hummed, laughing quietly.

Haley let out a deep breath, stepping away from the door and heading up the stairs. She walked down the hall, pausing at the door.

She listened as Nathan laughed inside.

Scratch that, Nathan giggled inside the room.

She smiled brightly, pushing the door open quietly, her gaze landing on Nathan, who was laying on the floor while Scout jumped all over him, playfully nipping at his shirt collar, tugging on it.

"Ahhh, you got me, buddy," Nathan spoke to the dog, lifting him up and setting him on his chest. He laughed again when the puppy started to lick his chin, eyes falling shut.

Haley tip toed in, standing over Nathan, sitting down on him quickly, straddling his waist, resting her hands on his side.

Nathan jumped, blinking his eyes open quickly and looking at her. "You scared the hell out of me," He laughed, releasing Scout as he used his stomach as a trampoline jumping to Haley.

"You're pretty cute, you know that?" Haley said, laughing as Scout continued to jump to her.

Nathan smiled as he watched Haley, his hands coming to rest on her legs.

"Nathan, I'm talking to you," She informed him, hugging the squirming puppy to her for a second.

"Oh, sorry, I figured you'd just be telling Scout how cute you think he is from now on," Nathan said, slipping his fingertips underneath the hem of her shorts.

"Now I have two men in my life that I find adorable," She said, looking down at Nathan and winking at him. "My parents want you to come back downstairs."

"Now that you're straddling me, I don't know if that's going to be an option," Nathan chuckled, removing his hands from her legs, resting them on her hips.

Haley smiled down at him, letting Scout back down onto the floor, watching him run around wildly around the whole room.

"Looks like we have our hands full," Nathan informed her, looking up at her and nodding.

"I guess so," She hummed out, glancing at the puppy before grabbing Nathan's face, pulling him up a ways and kissing him.

He used his elbows to balance as he kissed her back, smiling against her lips. When she started to deepen the kiss, he tilted his head away from her, smirking slightly. "None of that in front of the kid," He informed her, nodding towards the puppy that had crawled under the bed.

Haley felt her heart flutter at his words, laughing quietly. "Right, I forgot that I'm a parent now. But, that never stopped my parents from traumatizing my siblings and me for life."

Nathan laid back, reaching up and brushing his thumb over her chin, laughing. He flicked his gaze over and made eye contact with Scout, laughing again. "Come here, boy."

Scott's little paws slipped out from under the bed, trying to swat at Nathan, before he slid out completely, jumping on him.

Nathan laughed once again, a huge grin spreading on his face. "Damn, Scout, you are wild."

Haley slid her hand over Nathan's stomach, letting it come to rest on the buckled of his belt, smiling as she watched the two of them interact.

"Keep your hands in check, Haley James," Nathan said, raising one eyebrow at her.

"I haven't done anything, Nathan," She laughed, standing up slowly, reaching down and picking up Scout.

Nathan looked up at her, sitting up slowly. He stood up, stretching out his arms and smiling at her. He leaned over, pressing a brief kiss to her lips.

Haley smiled, rubbing the puppy's head lightly when his chin rested on her shoulder.

Nathan leaned over and kissed her again, before kissing her forehead as well. "I guess we better get back downstairs. After what happened yesterday, they'll probably think we're having sex or something."

"Let's never bring that up again. I'm still mortified by that," Haley said, shaking her head.

He laughed, rubbing Scout's head, before resting his hand on her lower back. "Ready to go back down?"

She smiled up at him, sucking in a deep breath. "I guess so," She said, leaning into his side lightly.

Nathan nodded at her, guiding her out of the room.


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter 40

"Is it just me or..."

Haley cut Quinn off before she could even finish her sentence, letting out a deep breath. "Right? It's getting so annoying. Nathan calls him all the damn time, I could break his phone..." She grumbled, eyes narrowing in on where Clay, Chase, and Nathan stood, looking up at the wall of pictures on Nathan's home in New York that Clay had originally put up.

"I mean, they've always talked a lot. I guess I never really notice how frustrating it is until they started it up again," Quinn said, shaking her head as Clay and Nathan started to tease Chase about one of the photos.

"I'm glad I'm not the only person that's upset about it. I don't know what happened, Quinn... He was at the point where he was telling me all his troubles, and he didn't need Clay to swoop in and save him, because I could do it," Haley mumbled, sighing softly.

"It's not as bad as it used to be, at least. But still... Clay was getting to the point where he didn't worry about him as often. He didn't have to play mother, but it's heading in that direction again. Maybe it's because Nathan is getting invoked with basketball again?" Quinn asked her, looking over and raising her eyebrows.

"That could be it," Haley said, watching as Nathan went over to where their puppy was sleeping on the carpet and picked him up.

"But..." Quinn trailed off, allowing Haley to continue.

"I think he's upset with me. I mean... Not really upset anymore, but a small part of him took a step away emotionally when I didn't tell him about the possibility of Mom and Dad stopping in," Haley tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Really?" Quinn asked her, frowning.

"I don't think it was on purpose, and I don't think he even notices it. But one second he's confiding in me, we get into that argument, and he immediately calls Clay right after. And then he starts calling him again, whenever he needs something," Haley grumbled, pinning a smile to her face when she made eye contact with Nathan, waving at him.

He held the now awake puppy up to her, grinning brightly, before heading over to his friends, holding Scout up to let him lick Chase's face, laughing.

"I don't think he realizes he did either," Quinn informed her, nodding. "He's definitely not mad at you."

"Well, I'm just glad he sold this damn house finally," Haley grumbled, looking down at the countertops and sighing. "I'm just jealous because I want to be the one he turns to. He told me I was being a bad teammate, and now he won't even give me a chance to shoot."

"Oh, hell... Haley, you just used a basketball metaphor," Quinn laughed, nudging her lightly. "Stop giving it to him so regularly, then he'll figure out something is up."

"Quinn, shut up," Haley laughed, rolling her eyes. "He knows something is wrong, I'm just too chicken to tell him when he asks."

"At least he's semi-perceptive now, when I met him he was clueless," Quinn laughed, sighing softly. "I tried to cut him out of Clay's life a little bit after we got engaged, but it didn't work. The guy was a mess and Clay was the only one who could help him, so I accepted it. I love Nathan, Hales, I really do. But I did not miss him using up Clay's free time."

"And I love Clay, Quinn, trust me. But I want to throw darts at a picture of him every damn time Nathan calls him," Haley informed her, brushing her hand through her hair. "At least he'll come back less without this house."

"But then you won't get to see me," Quinn informed her, slinging her arm around her shoulders.

"I'll come visit you without him," Haley laughed, shaking her head.

"And what happens if we move to Tree Hill? Which is a realistic possibility in the near future," Quinn hummed out, looking down at her.

"Well, I'll just take my shirt off every time Nathan mentions needing to talk to Clay," Haley joked, shrugging her shoulders. "Because I want you guys to move down there. I think it would be so fun. But I really want Nathan to talk to me."

"He will, Hales... I'll stop paying the phone bill," Quinn said, laughing and winking at her. "Have you tried to talk to him?"

"No, I'm being very passive aggressive about the whole thing. He has no idea what he's doing wrong," Haley sighed, tapping her fingers on the granite countertop.

"Well, it's his very last night in this house, and I promise to cut out of here early and I promise to take my husband with me. Perfect time for talking," Quinn said softly, sending her a smile. "We'll see if you can get Chase to leave."

Haley laughed, nodding her head. "No kidding. Those three have a bond like no other."

"They've been there for each other for a long time. But some relationships are more important than others, no matter the amount of time they've known each other," Quinn said, nudging her again. "Nathan would choose you over them in a heartbeat."

"I hope that's true," Haley sighed, looking up at her older sister.

"It is," Quinn confirmed. "Has he found a place in Tree Hill yet?"

"No, but I'll probably ask him to move in with me," Haley hummed, letting out a deep breath. "He lives there already, and I'm sure he'd sleep there more often than his own house, or I'd end up sleeping there."

"I thought you were living apart because you were taking things slow," Quinn commented, raising her eyebrows.

"We took things slow, but we can't move slow forever," Haley said, letting out a deep breath. "He's so different now, Quinny. And I thought he was different awhile ago, but no... Just look at him."

Quinn moved her eyes over to Nathan, smiling slightly. "He looks really happy, Haley."

"I know," Haley said softly, letting out a deep breath.

"You look really happy too. I know you're frustrated right now, but you look happier than I've ever seen you. You looked happy with him before, but you also looked semi worried all the time. But now you're glowing," Quinn informed her, rubbing her shoulder.

"I feel happy," Haley responded, smiling over at Nathan. "I mean, come on, how can I not be happy when I have a man that looks that good holding a puppy?"

Quinn laughed, rolling her eyes and nodding her head. "I guess that's true. You know, they're supposed to be working, not making fun of Chase. You keep organizing the silverware, I'm going to start helping them take down pictures."

"Good luck," Haley laughed, shaking her head and smiling at Quinn as she walked away.

It wasn't long until Nathan walked over, standing behind her and wrapping his arms around her.

"Hi, Hales..." He hummed, pulling her against him. "I've been sent over here to help you."

"Oh, have you now?" Haley asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Yes. Quinn said that Clay and I are too annoying together and Chase deserves a break," He laughed, leaning down and resting his chin on her shoulder, pressing a light kiss to her neck.

Haley laughed, grinning over in Quinn's direction. She told it how it was, that's for sure. Too bad it wouldn't click in their brains for very long, and it would only apply to this situation. When one of them called the other in the middle of the night, Quinn's words wouldn't even register with them.

It took her a moment to snap out of her thoughts and realize that Nathan's hands were wandering.

She smacked his arm, taking a step away from him. "Nathan, we're sorting silverware."

"I'll sort your silverware," Nathan said, smirking and winking at her.

Haley laughed, pushing on his chest lightly, before gripping onto his t-shirt. "Not the sexiest line I've ever heard, that's for sure."

He smiled at her, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead. "I did my best," He laughed, resting his hands on her hips and turning her back around. "Let's get this done."

She smiled, reaching behind her when his hands fell, grabbing onto his hands and wrapping them around her. "I don't need help, but I do want you to keep holding me."

"That's way better than helping," He informed her, hugging her to him.

Haley hummed, nodding her head. She continued to dig through the disorganized drawer, separating the sliverware and placing them in small totes.

"You know, living with you has given me so many more organization skills," He informed her, nodding his head. "Now I'll always have a silverware separator so I don't have to dig through the drawer to find a spoon. I've eaten cereal with a fork before, you know..."

"I believe that. This place is so unorganized," Haley laughed, leaning her head back against his shoulder.

"Yeah, Clay was a bit better than I was, but still it was bad. Then when he moved out I literally could not give a shit about things like silverware," He laughed, kissing the top of her head.

"I guess I've just flipped your whole world upside down, hm?" She said, momentarily stroking her fingertips up his forearm.

"More than you'll ever know," He said, pressing his face into her hair and letting out a deep breath.

She smiled at his response, feeling his arms tighten around her.

When she finished, she leaned back against his chest, letting out a deep breath. "Okay, Scott. You take these totes and go put them in the box marked silverware. It's not very big."

Nathan nodded, releasing his grip around her, and doing as he was told.

Haley continued to move around the kitchen, boxing up the small amount of things he had in there. Luckily, there weren't any old food surprises anywhere, and it was mostly pretty tidy because there had been plenty of people walking through the house and looking at it in the past few months. Not to mention Nathan had not been there to make it a mess.

Nathan sucked in a deep breath when the kitchen was all packed up, looking around. "Well, nice work, Haley James." He said, fist bumping her and smiling.

"Are you sad?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows and gesturing around.

"Hell no," He laughed, tapping the countertop. "I mean, I do have a lot of memories in this place. But I'm a jerk in most of them."

She rested her hand on his chest, shaking her head. "It's okay to be upset, Nathan. I'm sure you have good memories in here too."

"None that tie me to this house in anyway. I'm serious, Hales... I can't wait to be officially done with New York. I lived the busy lifestyle for long enough," He said, shrugging slightly.

"You're speaking like you're forty years old," Haley laughed, sliding her hand up to his shoulder.

"I have the back of a forty year old, might as well embrace it," He hummed, dipping his head down and kissing her briefly. "Baby, you're all I want, okay? I don't want this house. I don't want to miss anything about this house. I just want you."

"Okay," She said, smiling up at him. She rubbed the collar of his t-shirt between her pointer finger and thumb, letting out a deep breath. "I love you."

"I love you too," He responded quietly, smiling down at her. "My one regret with this house is that I haven't brought you here enough. There are so many rooms that we could have christened."

"Oh, Nathan..." She laughed, sliding her hand through the short hair on the back of his head, nuzzling her nose against his chin.

"There's nothing keeping me in New York, Haley. Trust me, I'll miss Chase and Clay, but they aren't good enough reasons for me to stay," He said quietly, nodding at her. "You're the only reason I need to get the hell out this city."

Haley smiled, brushing her fingertips down his neck, letting out a deep breath. "You really know how to make me feel special."

"I do what I can," He said, winking at her. "Good thing the movers are going to come get the bigger shit tomorrow."

"Why is that?" She responded, looking up at him.

"Because then we don't really need their help for much longer and we can have this whole place to ourselves," He said, rubbing his thumbs over her sides lightly.

"Yeah, right. I'm not letting you skip out on spending one last day with your best friends," She said, shaking her head.

"Fine," He said, kissing her briefly. "I guess we owe them pizza or something anyways."

"You have to stop kissing me because I might be tempted to take you up on your offer to finish this ourselves," She hummed, stepping away from him. "Come on, let's go back over and decide where to go next. We might need to be separated."

"Haley," He groaned, shaking his head. "Let's go clean out what's left in my closet."

"I'll go clean out your closet," Haley said, grabbing onto his hand and pulling him over where Clay, Quinn, and Chase were standing. "Okay," She began, clearing her throat. "I'm going to go clean out Nathan's room. Clay and Quinn, will you guys go get the towels out of all the bathrooms? Nathan and Chase are going to go box up the stuff in the garage."

"Quinn and I want to clean out my old bedroom," Clay said, sending a wink over to Quinn.

"There's still plenty of stuff in there. Clay needed a back up home," Quinn said, shaking her head and laughing.

"Do whatever you want, just get the towels too," Haley said, waving her hand to dismiss them.

"Haley," Nathan complained, shaking his head.

"Nathan, I'm taking charge. Go pack up the garage. If we were going at your pace, we'd still be here another week," She said, offering him a sweet smile.

"Come on, Nate. I'll dump some ice water on you while we're out there," Chase said, slinging his arm around Nathan's shoulder.

Nathan sighed, sending Haley a pout, before following Chase out to the garage.

"There's hardly anything in here," Nathan grumbled, pushing his hand through his hair and looking around the garage.

"I wouldn't necessarily say that," Chase said, smirking at him. He grabbed two lawn chairs, setting them up in the space that a car would normally be, had Nathan not already sold that to the goofy man in the garage with him. He walked over to the fridge, pulling two bottles of beer out of it, tossing one over to Nathan.

"Adams, you sly bastard," Nathan said, nodding in approval, taking a seat in one of the chairs.

Chase pulled out a bottle opener, popping the cap off Nathan's, and then his own, taking a seat next to him.

Nathan tipped the bottle back, letting out a deep breath. "I haven't had a beer since I've been back with Haley. We have an occasional glass of wine with dinner, but besides that, nothing..."

"And?" Chase laughed, raising his eyebrows.

"It's not as great as I remember," Nathan chuckled, looking at the bottle in his hand and shrugging. "Still, not bad."

Chase nodded his head, leaning back in the chair. "This is kinda crazy, huh?"

"Yeah, I never thought it would happen," Nathan said, smiling slightly. "I thought I was going to enjoy the bachelor life forever. Girls whenever I wanted, not worrying about the future, spend my nights in bars and clubs."

"That's pretty much how I pictured your life going," Chase said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Let's talk business, hm?" Nathan said, raising his eyebrows and looking over at Chase. "Awhile ago you brought up the idea of your own bar. You still thinking about that?"

"Yeah," Chase said, nodding slowly.

"I'll invest, but the thing is, New York has a shit ton of bars and clubs," Nathan said, looking over at him. "You should open it up in Tree Hill. I think it would thrive there. Or you should buy the bar that's already there."

"Tree Hill?" Chase asked him, raising his eyebrows. "I've never even been there, Nate..."

"Just think about it, Chase. What would you do here that would make you stand out from the rest of the bars here?" Nathan asked him, looking over at him.

"I don't think you're supposed to invite all your buddies to come with you when you move..." Chase laughed, shrugging slightly.

"I'm serious, Chase. I've been thinking about it a lot, and I think that it would be a good move for you. And if not Tree Hill, somewhere besides New York City. It's not like you really enjoy the city lifestyle anyways," He pointed out, tapping his fingers on the bottle in his hand.

"Okay, I'll think about it," Chase said, nodding his head and looking over at Nathan. "It does suck without you here."

"Don't go sappy," Nathan laughed, punching Chase's arm lightly.

"But I get it," Chase laughed, nodding his head. "Haley have any more sisters that are single?"

"Yeah, she has one. But she's crazy," Nathan laughed, running his hand through his hair. "You remember the sister I was flirting with at Clay's wedding? Yeah, she's still single. And the stories I've heard about her... She's crazy. She showed up to a party with Quinn's ex-fiancé as her date."

"Ballsy," Chase said, shaking his head. "Too bad. We could've been the trio that married sisters."

"I'm not sure I'd see you much. Haley really doesn't like her," Nathan responded, shrugging his shoulders.

"Dude, I just brought up marriage and you didn't bolt out of the room or deck me," Chase laughed, reaching over and pushing on Nathan's arm.

"Oh, hell, Chase..." Nathan said, rolling his eyes and taking a long drink of the beer in his hand. "I don't see it happening any time soon, but I do see it one day."

"Like five years from now, or like three years from now?" Chase asked him, raising his eyebrows.

"I'm not going to put a time frame on it, but it's a long ways away. I still have a lot of shit, and I don't even want to get married for a couple more years," He said, shrugging and looking down. "Don't say anything."

"What, the all knowing Clay isn't even aware? Lucas?"

"Nope," Nathan grumbled, taking another long drink, draining the liquid from his bottle. "It's not like I've seriously thought about it. I just wouldn't mind spending my life with her."

"You're so grown up," Chase laughed, nodding at him.

"She's tamed me," Nathan agreed, setting the bottle down. "I guess we better start cleaning."

"Now wait a minute, surely you haven't changed so much that you're actually suggesting we clean?" Chased asked him, raising his eyebrows.

"Unfortunately," Nathan chuckled, standing up slowly. "Most of this is just stuff I don't want. You want any of it?"

"I've already stolen a lot of your stuff, I think my place is looking like a hoarders nest," Chase responded, standing up and looking around the garage.

"Alright... Well let's get to it."

xxxx

Haley blinked her eyes open, her gaze landing on the clock. It was just after two. Her eyes snapped over when she became aware of the harsh breathing coming from the man next to her, the occasional word falling from his mouth.

Haley shot up quickly, laying her hand on his bare chest, lightly stroking her fingers along sweat slicked skin to calm him down. She wasn't going to wake him up if she could calm him down another way.

It had been awhile since Nathan had fallen to one of his horrible nightmares that he had that left him panicked and sweaty.

She moved her hand from his chest to his shoulder in soft movements, trying to ease his agony.

After a minute of doing that with no luck, she finally grabbed onto his shoulder, shaking him lightly. "Nathan," She said softly.

No response.

She sighed and grabbed onto his face, "Nathan," She said more stern, causing his eyes to open.

They were glossy and confused for a moment, before he blinked that away.

"Are you alright?" She asked him, stroking her fingers over his cheek.

Nathan sighed, running his hand through his hair and sitting up slowly. "Yeah," He mumbled, tossing his legs over the side of the bed, his breathing still ragged.

Haley raised her eyebrows, frowning slightly. She rested her hand over the tense muscles on his back. "Baby..."

"I'll be right back," He mumbled, standing up slowly. He grabbed his phone off the nightstand, the screen lighting up.

Haley knew she had to do something quick or else she'd fall to Clay Evans once again, but maybe she didn't have to do exactly what she did.

Like she didn't have control of herself, she shot up, and jumped onto Nathan's back before he even had time to take one step.

Nathan nearly lost his balance, taking a few steps forward before he caught himself again, raising his eyebrows. "Haley, what the hell are you doing?"

"You're not calling Clay, Nathan!" She snapped to him, digging her fingers into his shoulder. "I'm tired of being on the outside! You talk to me now."

"What are you talking about?" Nathan asked her, chuckling quietly.

"You picked up your phone. You were going to leave the room and call Clay instead of talking to me," She said, shaking her head.

"I was going to get a drink of water. The reason I grabbed my phone is so that I could turn on my flashlight so you could go back to sleep and I wouldn't have to turn on the lights," He said quickly, letting out a deep breath.

"Oh," Haley said softly, her head against the back of his head for a moment, letting out a deep breath.

"Haley..." Nathan trailed off, sighing softly. "Can you get down so that I can see you when we talk?"

Haley slowly dropped herself from his back, rubbing her neck lightly.

Nathan turned the flashlight on, reaching out for her hand.

She took it slowly, letting him guide her out of the room and down the stairs.

Once Nathan reached the kitchen, he turned off his flashlight, turning on the lights over the bar. He walked over to the fridge, filling up a glass of water and letting out a deep breath.

Haley watched Nathan as he drank the water quickly, pushing his hair off his forehead.

Finally, he filled the glass up again, and took a seat next to her, looking at her expectantly.

"You used to talk to me," Haley said, looking at him quickly. "You always called Clay, and then you started talking to me and started calling him less and less. Now you call him all the damn time again," She said, letting out a frustrated sigh, pushing her hand through her hair. "I'm tired of it, Nathan. You need to tell me things. I'm your girlfriend."

"I call him a lot?" He asked her slowly, rubbing his hand down his face.

"Yes!" She said, letting out a frustrated sigh. "I didn't mean for this to come out this way, but good hell, Nathan... Talk to me!"

"I do!" Nathan argued, shaking his head. "I talk to you, Hales..."

"You think I don't hear you, Nathan? I hear you on the phone with him when you think I'm asleep," Haley said, pushing on his shoulder lightly.

"Haley..." He sighed, looking at her.

"I'm not mad, Nathan, I promise," She said, meeting his eyes. "I just wish it was me."

"It is you, Hales..." He said quickly, resting his hand on her leg.

"Why do you call him?" She asked him softly, reaching up, fiddling with his ear lightly.

He was quiet for awhile, looking down at the water in his glass. "I don't know, Hales... I guess I haven't given it much thought."

"I know," She laughed, leaning forward and kissing his cheek lightly. "That's kind of what I thought."

"At least I know why you've been upset with me now," He said, smiling slightly at her.

"It's not at you, babe... It's just everything," She said, nodding at him. "I love you, Nathan... I miss it. I miss when you would open up to me."

He looked at her, sucking in a deep breath. "When did it start?"

"When my parents came," She said, pinching his ear lobe lightly. "After we got into that argument."

He nodded slowly, squeezing his eyes shut and trying to analyze the past couple weeks.

"I was afraid to express my concerns about meeting your parents," He informed her, opening his eyes and looking at her. "That's why I didn't talk to you."

"But you don't need to be," She said, pushing her hand through his hair. She offered him a small smile, letting out a deep breath. "I want you to trust me, Nathan. With every concern you have. Can you do that?"

"I think so," He responded, nodding and offering her a small smile.

She slid her hand down his neck, lightly resting it on his bare chest. "What happened tonight? Can we start there?"

Nathan eyes wandered away from hers down to the countertop, swiveling his stool lightly. "Just the same old crap. I just want to leave this place."

"And by this place you mean...?" She questioned him, raising her eyebrows.

"This city, this house... I don't like the person I was when I lived here. I mean, towards the end I was okay, but I just have bad memories," He said, sighing softly, rubbing his thumb along the cool glass in his hand.

Haley nodded, leaning over and kissing his cheek lightly. "I know, Nathan..."

"Can we go? Can we just rent a car and leave right now?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows.

She laughed, resting her hand on his leg and shaking her head. "I think we should stay," She informed him. "And I think you should just tell me."

He nodded, resting his hand on top of hers. "I guess you're the one that wakes me up and calms me down in the middle of the night, so you deserve to know," He said, letting out a deep breath. "I'm scared to lose you," He said softly, keeping his gaze on the countertop. "I used to have nightmares about my mom and my dad, and basically my shitty ass life. But now I have them about my perfect life with my amazing girlfriend, and it's so stupid."

Haley raised her eyebrows, clearing her throat. "What do you mean by that?"

"In my dream it was like I'm being pulled in every direction, and I could hear your voice calling for me, but everyone else I know, Lucas, Clay, my dad, my mom, Chase, everyone... They wouldn't let me get to you, Haley..." He blew out, shaking his head. "I feel so stupid telling you this."

"Hey..." She trailed off, looking at him and smiling. "I'm here."

"I know, but it's my nightmare to mess things up with you again, Hales! And look what I'm doing now? I keep calling Clay instead of talking to you. That's one thing that's holding me back from you, Hales... I don't want it to come true."

"Then don't let it, Nathan. Take control of your own life," She said, nodding at him. "We're stronger now, Nathan."

"I'm so sorry, Haley... I didn't even realize I was doing it but I'm really glad you told me so that I can ease up. You give better advice than he does anyways," He said, sighing softly.

Haley swiveled his chair so that he was facing her, leaning forward, touching their knees together. She offered him a small smile when he met her eyes.

"I know that Clay is your best friend, Nathan. And I love Clay, I really do. He's helped my sister more than anyone in the world ever has and he makes her feel so special. And he's helped you so much. He's never given up on you. I don't want to come between you and Clay by any means. But I don't want him to come between us either, okay?"

Nathan nodded quickly, letting out a deep breath. "Clay is my best friend, but I'm in love with you. I want to open up to you, not him. Because I value his opinion, and his advice, but I need and want yours way more."

Haley rubbed the silky material of his basketball shorts between her fingers, smiling at him. She slowly moved her hand to his need, brushing her fingertips along the vertical scar there from when he crashed a race car in high school. "I love you too, Nathan. Nothing is going to happen to me, you, or us..." She said softly.

Nathan leaned forward quickly at her words of reassurance, connecting his mouth with hers. He grabbed into her calf, lifting one of her legs up so that it was resting on his chair next to him. He smoothed his hand along the outside of her leg, leaning even further into her, stopping when his fingertips connected with the pajama shorts she was wearing.

"You're so hot when you talk about how I'm ranked higher than Clay on your list," She informed him, hooking one arm around his neck.

"Just don't tell him that," Nathan laughed, kissing her again.

After a few minutes, Haley was about to pull apart and suggest they go upstairs, when there was a quiet bark followed by some whimpers coming from the laundry room not too far off from the kitchen.

Nathan chuckled quietly, pulling back and raising his eyebrows. When she nodded her head, he leaned forward and pressed another long kiss to her lips before parting once again and sighing softly. "I'll let him out."

"You don't have a shirt on," Haley laughed, raising her eyebrows.

"It's summer, Hales. It's warm enough. You get your beautiful face back in my bed, please," He laughed, standing up once again.

Haley nodded her head, standing up slowly. She kissed him once more time, humming softly and heading back up to the bedroom.

Nathan walked to the laundry room, letting the very excited puppy out, a grin forming on his face as he started to jump all over. "Alright, I'm excited to see you too, buddy. Now let's go outside."

After spending a few more minutes outside, Nathan finally went back up to their bedroom, Scout in arms.

He found Haley laying in the bed, staring up at the ceiling, blinking slowly, as if she was trying to keep herself awake.

Nathan chuckled quietly, dropping Scout on the end up the bed, laying down next to Haley and letting out a deep breath.

"I thought we agreed he should sleep in the laundry room while we're here," Haley laughed, petting Scout as he eagerly came up and licked her face.

"He talked me into it," He informed her, smirking slightly.

It took a little while, but Scout did eventually curl up right between them.

"I'm sorry for making you feel like I can't trust you, Haley. Because I definitely trust you," He said softly, looking over at her.

"I know you do, Nathan. And I'm sorry I've let it stew for awhile instead of coming to you directly," She responded, scratching Scout's ear lightly.

He nodded his head, slipping his arm past the puppy until it connected with hers. He slid his fingertips down her arm, linking their hand together. He opened his mouth to say something, but a loud snore filled the air.

Their eyes had completely adjusted to the dark, so they were able to make eye contact with one another, each holding back laughs.

"Is it just me, or is it really cute when dogs snore?" Nathan whispered to her, raising his eyebrows.

She laughed, nodding her head. "It's very cute. He snores, just like you."

"Well, he is my son."

"Oh, hell..." Haley laughed, covering her mouth when Scout's head shot up, petting him until he closed his eyes again.

"Goodnight, Scott."


	41. Chapter 41

I am so, so sorry. i know, it's been awhile since I've updated any of my stories.

chapter 41

Nathan let out a deep breath as Quentin prepared to check him the ball.

The hot summers day was definitely taking a tole on him.

He felt like he was going to throw up. He was drenched in sweat, desperate for a drink of water, but he wasn't going to back down until Quentin did.

And for some reason, Quentin was totally fine. Sure, he looked a little tired, but Nathan was on the verge of dropping onto the asphalt.

"Okay, Nate," Quentin said, passing him the ball. "Let's go again."

It wasn't even back pain. His knee was hurting a little, but it was mostly just pure exhaustion. It had to be close to 105 outside, and not to mention the humidity. He had no idea how the hell Quentin wasn't breathing as heavily as he was.

Nathan dribbled the ball, faking as if he was going to go left, and then attempting to break right, but of course, Quentin was prepared for that.

It was pretty much like Nathan had handed him the ball and stepped out of the way, because before he knew it, Quentin was way past him and dunking on the old hoop.

"Nate, come on... You did that exact thing last time. What's wrong?" Quentin asked him, raising his eyebrows.

"Nothing, let's go again," Nathan grumbled, stepping back up to his original spot.

Quentin shrugged slightly, walking over and checking him the ball once again.

Nathan dribbled the ball, taking a moment to enjoy the worn leather in his palms once again. His ball handling had gotten much, much better since practicing with Quentin. Had it been a couple years ago, he would've dominated on this court. The heat wouldn't have been such an issue, and the dull ache in his knee would've been a problem he could've ignored forever. But his body wasn't the same, and he had to keep reminding himself of that.

His focus was removed off the basketball in his hands when Haley's car pulled up to the court. He looked over at her, and Quentin didn't skip a beat. He stole the ball, and stepped behind the three point line, dribbling for a second before stepping back and shooting.

"That sucked ass, Nate," Quentin informed him, shaking his head.

"I know," Nathan sighed, looking back at Haley once again when she got out of the car.

"Hey guys," Haley hummed, smiling and waving at them. She raised her hands up, tossing them both ice cold water bottles.

"Hey," Nathan said, smiling and walking over to her, moving to pull her into a hug.

Haley rested her hand on his chest to stop him, shaking her head. "I'm sorry, Nathan, but this is the sweatiest I've ever seen you," She laughed, shrugging her shoulders.

Nathan looked down at his shirt, chuckling quietly. "Probably a good call," He said, leaning forward and kissing her forehead. "Thank you for the water."

"My pleasure," She hummed, moving to take a seat on the bleachers.

"Hey, Haley," Quentin said, waving at her. "Thank you for the water."

Haley let out a laugh, shaking her head and rolling her eyes. "Slow your roll there, Quentin. Let's stick with Miss James for now. And you're welcome."

Quentin laughed, rushing over to get the basketball. "What do you say, Nate? One more? I was supposed to be home twenty minutes ago, so might as well be just a little later."

Nathan looked at him, sucking in a deep breath and nodding. "Okay, man... One more," He grumbled, stepping back up to the half court line.

Quentin chuckled quietly, standing in front of him and passing the ball to him.

Nathan sighed softly, dribbling the ball and glancing towards the basket.

"You want me to let you win?" Quentin asked him quietly, laughing.

"Kiss my ass, Q," Nathan chuckled, shaking his head. "Give me everything you've got left."

Quentin smirked at him, taking a quick step towards him, swiping his hand.

Nathan avoided him, sucking in a slow, deep breath. He was so damn tired. With Haley watching him, he felt like he pretty much had to summon all the energy he had left to make it to the basket.

He made brief eye contact with Quentin, before charging to the right.

Somehow, he avoided him.

He went up for a layup, and Quentin was suddenly behind him, smacking the ball against the backboard.

Nathan landed on the ground, letting out a sigh and shaking his head. "Good one, Quentin."

"Wish I could say the same," Quentin chuckled, jogging over to pick up the ball.

Nathan looked over at Haley and smiled sheepishly, shaking his head.

Haley smiled back at him, holding up a thumbs up to him. She stood up from her seat, walking over to Nathan, resting her hand on his arm. She glanced over at Quentin, nodding her head towards him.

Nathan sighed softly, following her eyes. "Hey, Quentin, can we give you a ride home?"

Quentin looked over at them, nodding his head. "You might want to drop me off a few houses down, wouldn't want my mom to get you involved in this."

Haley laughed, "I can't really blame her, especially if you were supposed to be home awhile ago."

"Trust me, Miss James, you don't want to mess with her. You're tough, but she can take you," Quentin laughed, shrugging his shoulders.

"I think I'll take your word for it. Come on," Haley said, walking back to her car and getting in.

Nathan chuckled, watching Quentin get in the car, before following both their leads and getting in the front passenger side

Haley glanced over at Nathan, smiling slightly and shaking her head. "Quentin, how's your summer going?"

"Well I've spent most of it doing homework, and playing basketball," Quentin chuckled, shrugging his shoulders.

"If you would've done your homework during the school year, you could've just been playing basketball," Haley reminded him.

"Haley," Nathan laughed, rolling his eyes and shaking his head.

"You're right, but trust me, I don't need another reminder," Quentin responded with a laugh.

"School is almost finished, thankfully," Haley said, humming softly.

"And so is summer basketball," Quentin said, looking over at Nathan. "You going to keep coaching?"

"I don't know yet," Nathan said, looking back at Quentin. "I'm going back to school to finish up my degree, so I might be a bit busy."

"You can't let him quit, Ms. James," Quentin redirected the conversation to Haley, raising his eyebrows.

Haley laughed, shaking her head. "I'm staying out of this argument."

After a few more minutes of casual conversation, they pulled up in front of Quentin's house.

"Thanks for the ride," Quentin said, letting out a deep breath. "See you on Monday, Coach?"

"Yep," Nathan said, nodding his head. "Don't throw me under the bus with your mom, I don't want her thinking it's my fault. I didn't even know you had to be home."

"Trust me, I'll do anything to get out of whatever she's come up with," Quentin laughed, getting out of the car and rushing into his house.

Haley laughed, waving at Quentin, before quickly pulling away from his home. She looked over at Nathan again and smiled.

"What are you smiling about?" He asked her, removing one of her hands from the steering wheel, interlocking their fingers.

"You look exhausted," She said, squeezing her hand lightly.

"I am exhausted," He informed her, kissing her knuckles lightly.

"You look super hot playing basketball, not going to lie," She said, glancing at him and winking, before redirecting her eyes back to the road.

He raised his eyebrows, smirking slightly. "Haley James," He laughed, leaning over and pressing a kiss to the side of her neck. "You chose a good day to wear your hair up."

"Did I?" She asked, shaking her head. She brushed her thumb over his knuckles, letting out a deep breath.

"You did," He hummed, leaning back against the seat and closing his eyes.

Haley smiled slightly, shrugging her shoulders. "What do you want to do today?"

"I need to probably take an hour long ice shower, and then a forty five minute long scalding hot shower," He laughed, letting out a sigh. "I'm going to be dead tomorrow. It's been a long time since I've been this exhausted."

She glanced over at him yet again, "How's your back feeling?"

"It actually isn't bothering me at all. I mean, tomorrow I might be a little sore but right now my knee is hurting a bit, and I was dying of heat stroke out there," He chuckled, gesturing outside.

"Yeah, it's hot today," She said, shaking her head. "Make sure you drink plenty of water, I don't want you to be dehydrated."

"Yes, dear," He responded, smirking at her when she let go of his hand momentarily to smack his arm.

"Jerk," She laughed, rolling her eyes. "I'm just looking out for you."

"I know," He smiled, leaning over and kissing her cheek. "And I'm very thankful for you."

She smiled, letting out a deep breath and shaking her head.

Haley raised her eyebrows when they pulled into the driveway a few minutes later, frowning slightly when she pushed the button to open up the garage and it didn't budge.

"Why won't the garage open?" She asked, looking over at Nathan.

"You ask me that like I know the answer," Nathan responded, shrugging his shoulders.

"It worked when I left to run my errands this morning. Opened and closed, and that was before you left to go play basketball with Quentin," She said, getting out of the car.

Nathan got out as well, raising his eyebrows at her. "Hey, judge, you're being awfully accusatory with that tone," He laughed, shrugging his shoulders.

"Did it work when you left?" She asked, looking over at him.

"I came out the front door," He laughed, shrugging and walking up to the garage door, kicking his foot against it.

She sighed, rubbing her neck and looking at him. "I'll call someone about it on Monday," She said, walking to the trunk of her car and lifting it open.

"I can try to open it right now?" Nathan offered politely, following her to the trunk, beginning to pick up the grocery bags.

"No, just leave it. We can figure it out later," She said, following his lead and grabbing some grocery bags.

"At least we get to see Scout, right?" He said, nudging her with his elbow and smiling.

"That does usually cheer me up," She said, looking at the garage again and sighing.

"James, move past it," He laughed, kissing her head, nodding towards the front door.

She walked to the front door, setting down the bags on her arms, and unlocking the door. She pushed it open slowly, picking up the bags and walking inside.

Nathan smiled brightly when Scout came sprinting around the corner, running up to Haley.

Haley grinned down at him, walking into the kitchen and setting the bags down on the countertop. She leaned down, picking up Scout quickly, letting out a deep breath.

"I'm going to go check out the garage," Nathan said, setting the bags down next to hers. He rubbed his hand between Scout's ears, before heading to the door that led out into the garage.

Haley frowned when Nathan entered a minute later, looking at him and sighing. "What?"

"The door won't budge," He said, shrugging his shoulders.

"What the hell?" Haley asked him, knitting her eyebrows together in confusion. "What do you mean it won't budge?"

"I mean that it won't open," He chuckled, beginning to put the groceries away.

"Ugh, well isn't that great? Something probably fell in it, I knew it was going to bite me in the ass. It's weird that it opens outwards," She grumbled, kissing Scout's head and sighing. She opened up the back door, setting him down and letting him run outside.

"Yeah," He said, shrugging his shoulders. After a minute, he'd finished putting away the groceries and turned his attention back to her. "I'm going to go shower."

"Okay," She responded, rubbing her neck and looking out the window in the kitchen, watching the puppy run around.

"Hales," He laughed, kissing the back of her head. "We'll figure it out, okay?"

"I know," She sighed, rubbing her neck, looking over her shoulder at him. "I'm going to sit outside with Scout for a little while."

"Sounds good," He hummed, dipping his head down and pressing a kiss to her shoulder. "I'll see you in two hours, once I'm done with my shower."

She laughed, rolling her eyes and watching him walk away, before heading out the back door to joking their puppy.

xxxx

"What are you doing?" Haley asked Nathan, stepping into the bedroom, carrying a sandwich bag full of ice. She sat down on the edge of the bed by his legs, setting it down on his knee.

"Oh, I'm just looking at different places for me to live in the area," He informed her, looking past her at the open door. "Where's Scout?"

"He's exhausted so he's taking a nap on the bathroom tile," She said, rolling her eyes and smiling slight. "But he'll probably end up in here in a little while," She hummed, brushing her hand over his shin, before climbing over him and sitting next to him, looking down at his laptop.

Honestly, this was a little bit of a kick in the gut that he was looking for places to live. Since he'd pretty much moved in with her, she had not seen him do this once.

But she also knew that he got inside of his own head, and probably talked himself into this.

"What are you looking for in a house?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"A garage door that works," He teased, looking down at her and kissing her forehead.

"Funny," She grumbled, resting her hand on his arm and looking down as he scrolled through the houses.

He smiled, letting out a deep breath. "Where do you think I should live? I mean, I could go beach house..."

"That depends on your price range," She said, squeezing his arm lightly.

"Trust me when I say I have money burning a hole in my pocket," He mumbled, shaking his head and looking down. "Two dead parents and my mom's parents have both passed away too, so..." He rubbed his neck lightly, continuing to scroll.

Haley nearly choked at the bluntness of his words, looking up at his face. It didn't seem to phase him though, as his gaze was zeroed in on the laptop.

He hummed quietly, shrugging his shoulders. "I could go with an apartment. Maybe move into the same one you just left."

She sat up a bit straighter, pressing a kiss to his chin. "I love you," She whispered into his ear.

"I love you too," He said, leaning back against the headboard and sighing.

"Well, you definitely don't want this house," Haley pointed to one of the places he was looking at.

"And why is that?" He chuckled, raising his eyebrows and looking down at her.

"Look at the color, it's not the right color for you," She said, shrugging her shoulders. "Plus, no fence."

"Right, I need a fence for little Scout to be able to run around. Good point," He laughed, scrolling past it.

"And this one is way too big, no way," She pointed at the next home, shaking her head.

"Too big, huh?" He asked her, shrugging his shoulders. "I didn't realize that was a problem."

"Come on, Nathan, you don't need five rooms for yourself..." She said, shaking her head quickly.

"If your family comes into town they could stay at my place," He informed her, looking at her and smiling.

"We don't need to encourage that," She laughed, stroking her hand down his arm. "Next."

"Next, huh?" He asked, laughing quietly and scrolling.

Haley took a moment to scan over the home, clicking on the link to it, before shaking her head again.

"What's wrong with this one?" He asked her, looking down at her.

"You'll have to paint the whole inside of this house," She said, pressing the back button and scrolling past it.

"So I don't want a house where I have the paint the outside or the inside," He said, nodding slowly, rubbing his neck again.

"You can paint a couple of rooms, but you don't want to have to redo the whole inside," She told him, shrugging.

"I guess that's a good point," He said, yawning. "Okay, let keep going."

After looking at a few more houses, Haley finding a reason for him not to consider any of them, Nathan finally clicked on the next home.

"So what's wrong with this one, Hales?" He laughed, looking down at her and raising his eyebrows.

Haley scanned the screen, before her eyes narrowed down on the address. "Well... It's too far away from me."

He nodded his head, smirking slightly. "How about you just ask me, Hales?"

"Ugh, Nathan Scott, will you just move in with me? Officially?" Haley asked him, letting out a frustrated sigh and looking at him.

"I knew I could break you with this," He laughed, dropping his arm around her shoulder, dipping his head down and kissing her lightly. "Yes."

"It was already pretty much set in stone," She grumbled, before grinning up and at him and resting her hand on his cheek.

"Yeah, but I wanted you to beg me," He laughed, kissing her forehead.

"I didn't," She pointed out, brushing her thumb along his cheekbone. "But I would have."

Nathan smirked, setting his laptop on the nightstand, pulling her into his lap and resting his hands on her waist. "I love you, Hales."

Haley smiled at him, brushing her fingers through his hair, nodding her head. "I love you too, baby."

"I mean it so much when I say that to you, Haley. If only you knew how much I really love you," He said softly, grabbing her hand and resting it on his chest. "My heart is racing."

She smiled, picking up his hand as well, doing the same. "Mine is racing too, Nathan," She informed him.

He smiled, pulling her down and kissing her again, gripping her waist lightly.

Haley rested her hand on his shoulders, allowing herself to relax into her new roommate, a smile forming on her face at the thought.

"When can I move some of my stuff in?" He mumbled against her lips.

"The leather furniture doesn't touch my home," She said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Our home," He reminded her, pulling her closer to him.

"If it has cup holders in the arm rest it has to go," She informed him, scratching her fingertips lightly along his neck, parting her lips from his finally, smiling at him.

"I'll just turn my storage unit into a place for me to hang out then," He said, winking at her. "You're really never getting rid of me now."

"I wouldn't dream of it, Nathan," She informed him, pushing on his chest lightly and smiling at him.

"So, do you want me to go ahead and take the guest room?" He teased her, sliding one of his hands into her shirt, brushing his fingertips along the small of her back.

"Yeah, probably," She said, licking her lips and winking at him. "We'll figure out where to put your stuff."

He smiled, letting out a deep breath. "So, we're roommates now, huh?"

"Nathan, we've pretty much been living together for a few months now," She reminded him, shrugging her shoulders.

"But now, Haley James, it is official," He said, gripping her waist, moving her off of him and down onto the bed. He shifted himself until he was hovering over her.

She smiled up at him, letting out a deep breath and nodding. "It is," She confirmed, winking at him. "I guess this means we're exclusive now, huh?"

"Yeah, I'd say it does," He laughed, kissing her nose.

Haley gripped his t-shirt, pulling him closer to her, winking at him. "Is it okay if I call my other boyfriend and let him know?"

"Go right ahead, I'll just be doing this," He said, grabbing her phone off it's spot on the bed next to them, handing it to her. He lowered his head, attaching his lips to her neck.

Haley tilted her head back, taping on her phone, before closing her eyes and holding her phone to her ear.

He chuckled quietly, dropping more of his weight down on her, nudging his face further into her neck.

Haley waited until the phone stopped ringing, letting out a deep breath. "Hey baby, it's me. I know this is hard, but my first boyfriend finally wanted to be exclusive, and we're moving in together."

Nathan lifted his head up, raising his eyebrows at her curiously. He smirked slightly when she gripped the hair on the back of his head, forcing his lips back onto her neck.

"Sorry, he's just that great in bed, I can't give him up. It's going to be hard to let all this go, I know, but I have to pick love over lust in this one. Well... I guess I have both love and lust in this case. Real star, this guy is..." Haley said, letting out a deep breath, gripping his hair in her fist. "Anyways, thank you for understanding. If this never works out... I guess I'll give you a call. Bye, baby..."

"The only person I can think of that you actually just called was Brooke," He mumbled, raising up his head and looking at her again.

"No," She laughed, looking at him. "I called your phone and left a voicemail," She said, sliding her hand down to his shirt collar, tugging on it.

"I'm never deleting that," He said, pulling his shirt over his head. He grabbed her phone out of her hand, tossing it over the side of the bed.

"I was going to make it more sexual, but you'd never believe it," She laughed, hooking her legs around his waist. "You remember that my garage isn't working right now? I remember that being on your list..."

"Please leave the more sexual version on my phone as well," He laughed, "And, I don't really care about the garage."

"You know what would be fun about this conversation?" She asked him, pulling him closer to her.

"What?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Continuing it in a little while."

"You know what, I completely agree."

xxxx

"Is this what it's going to be like from here on out?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows. "Some good lovin' and then I get to watch you play solitaire?"

"This is what it's like living with me," She said, shrugging her shoulders, tapping her fingers on the table. "I've been holding back."

He dropped his arm around her shoulders, leaning over and kissing her cheek. "You can put the ten on the jack."

"I'm just looking at my options," She said, resting her hand on his leg and sighing, staring down at the cards on the table.

"You know, we could play a card game that we could both play," He said, nodding his head.

"No, you'll give me your smoky eyes and your smirk and then we'll never finish the game," She laughed.

Nathan stood up, walking over to where Scout was sitting, kneeling down next to him, rubbing between his ears.

"Sometimes I play sudoku," She informed him, shrugging. "Or I grade homework."

"Haley, you act like this is the first time I've watched you play solitaire after we have sex," He chuckled, nodding at her. "I was just joking about how we officially live together. I know your quirks."

"Oh, you have your quirks too, Nathan," She laughed, glancing over at him.

"No I don't," He laughed, scooping up Scout, sitting back down at the table.

Haley let out another laugh, shaking her head and resting her elbows on the table.

"Damn, you're kinda mean when we live together," He teased her, holding Scout towards her face, grinning when he licked her cheek.

She laughed, wiping off her face and looking over at them. "Hi buddy," She hummed, rubbing his head. "You don't think I'm mean, do you?"

"We had a chat, and we both agree," He said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Nathan, you're the one that called me quirky," She pointed out, shaking her head. "And you know that I don't do this after sex."

"Hey, watch your language in front of the puppy," He said, covering up Scout's ears.

Haley laughed, smiling up at him. "You're cute," She informed him.

"Thank you," He said, setting Scout on her lap and standing up. "I have a surprise for you," He informed her. "Stay put."

Haley raised her eyebrows as he rushed away. She stroked her hand over Scout's back, shrugging her shoulders and pinning her focus back onto her solitaire game.

When Haley heard the garage entrance into her house open and close, she looked up curiously. "Did you just come in through the garage?"

"Yeah," He said, nodding at her. "Can you put that game on hold?"

"Absolutely," She hummed, standing up, setting Scout on the ground. "How did you get in the garage?"

"I have my ways," He said, nodding. "Take off your shirt."

"Not with out more explanation," Haley laughed, shrugging her shoulders.

"Never mind, that was a long shot," He laughed, stepping up behind her. He covered her eyes with one hand, letting out a deep breath. "Okay, I'll take you to your surprise."

"You fixed the garage?" She asked him, clapping her hands together.

"When do you think I had time to do that?" He laughed, pressing a kiss to the back of her head.

"You're a man of many, many talents," She hummed, leaning back against him, pausing their steps for a moment.

"Mm, I heard an underlying tone in that," He said, standing her up straight again. "I like it."

"I'm guessing this surprise is something sexual," Haley said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Oh, it's not, but I like where your head is at," Nathan laughed, leading her to the garage door, turning the handle and pushing it open. "Okay, babe, we're going into the garage, there's a little bit of a step, and then an actual step."

"How the hell did you get in here? I thought the door was jammed?" She asked him, stepping onto the cool cement.

"Who do you think jammed it?" He responded, smiling slightly. He let out a deep breath, glancing around the garage.

"How did you get in here?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"I climbed through the window," He informed her, allowing her to come to a stop, letting out a deep breath.

"Climbed through the window? Can you fit through the window? It's so small, and so high off the ground..." She trailed off, shaking her head.

"Yeah, I'll show you later. Are you ready?" He asked her, resting his other hand on her waist, smiling slightly.

"Yes, but you didn't have to get me anything..." She said, resting her hand on his wrist.

Nathan let out a slow, deep breath, removing his hand from over her eyes.

Haley gasped at the sight in front of her.

Sitting in the middle of her garage was a gorgeous, black, grand piano.

"Nathan..." She said, looking up at him quickly.

"Surprise," Nathan said, nodding down at her. "Take a seat."

"This is beautiful..." She trailed off, sitting down at the bench, lifting up the cover over the keys.

"Do you like it?" He asked her, shoving his hands into his pockets, rocking on his heels.

"Are you serious, Nathan?" She asked him, looking up at him. "It's... Wow."

"I hope that's a good sign," He laughed, nodding at her. "I guess I should let you know that I disconnected your garage door opener from the garage."

"Oh, good... I was so stressed about it," She said, waving her hand towards the door. "Nathan, this is too much..."

"No, it's not, Haley," He said, shaking his head quickly. "You're my girl, and I wanted to get you something."

Haley bit her lip, reaching out and grabbing his hand, pulling him down onto the bench next to her. "I love you, Nathan..." She let out a deep breath, lifting up the cover over the key, rubbing her hand over the smooth ivory.

"And I love you," He said, pressing a kiss to the side of her head, smiling. "The guys who moved it in here said they would come back tomorrow to get it in the house. We just need to figure out where to put it..."

She looked at him again, letting out a deep breath. "I can't believe you did this for me."

"I'd do anything for you, Hales..." He said softly, rubbing his neck and shrugging.

She rested her hand on his cheek, pulling him down for a long kiss, running her fingers through his hair.

Nathan smiled, pulling away after a moment. "Well, are you going to play?"

Haley touched the 'middle c' key, grinning at the perfectly tuned note. "Nathan, this is so amazing."

He looked at her, kissing her head again and letting out a deep breath. "I want to hear you play it, Hales..."

Haley nodded slowly, sucking in a nervous breath. "Okay, but I get to teach you a few things after I do..."

Nathan chuckled, nodding his head. "You can do your best, but I'm not making any promises."

She smiled at him, pinching his cheek, before turning her focus back to the keys, resting her hands on them. "I might be a little rusty."

"Just play," He demanded, rubbing her back lightly and nodding his head quickly

Haley sucked in yet another deep breath, before beginning to play a song that she'd memorized from when she was a bit younger.

Nathan watched in awe, his gaze switching from her hands to her face, occasionally he'd glance down at her feet as she pushed the pedals.

Seeing the look on her face made the piano worth every penny.

"That was so graceful," He said once she'd finished, grinning at her. "You're amazing."

"I wouldn't jump straight to amazing, or graceful, for that matter... I messed up," She said, her cheeks tinting pink.

"I'd jump there," He said softly, kissing her cheek, shrugging his shoulders. "I can't wait to watch you play this all the time."

"We still have to figure out where to put it," She informed him, shrugging her shoulders.

"Easy, we move the guest bedroom upstairs into the smaller room that you've been using as your office. Then, we move your desk downstairs and put the piano in there," He said, rubbing her shoulders lightly.

"Good idea," She said, nodding at him. "I love it, Nathan."

"Keep playing," He said, tilting her chin up and kissing her again.

"I'll play a couple more songs, and then I'm going to teach you a song, because I think it will be really cute to watch you struggle, since you're so good at everything else," She told him, tapping his nose lightly and looking back down at the piano.

Nathan laughed, raising his eyebrows. "Just wait and see what it's like to tutor me."

"Believe it or not, I'm very excited for that," She responded, bumping her shoulder against his.

"Not," He replied, gesturing down at the keys. "Again."

"So bossy," She laughed, biting her lip and winking at him, before beginning to play another song.

"When are you going to sing with it?" He asked her once she'd finished, smirking slightly.

"Nope," She laughed, hooking her arm through his, resting her head against his shoulder.

"You sing all the time, Hales, don't be shy around me," He chuckled, kissing the top of her head. "Don't you know how amazing I think you are?"

"We'll see," She laughed, closing her eyes and letting out a deep breath. "This is the best, Nathan... You're the best."

"I know," He joked, rubbing her leg lightly.

"This is my perfect life, y'know? Amazing boyfriend that bought me an amazing piano, and the cutest little puppy in the whole world," She said, nodding slowly, looking up at him.

"It's my perfect life too," He said softly, leaning forward and kissing her again. "I'm going to grow old listening to you play this piano, you know that right?"

"Yeah," She said, biting her lip and nodding at him. "I plan on watching you grow old while I stay young."

"I love you," He said quietly, resting his forehead on hers.

"You too, baby," She replied, squeezing his bicep. "Better get those hands ready, Scott, because you're in for a workout."

"Okay, maybe it can be a sexual gift," He joked, setting his hands on the piano, pressing down on the keys.

Haley laughed, rolling her eyes and letting out a deep breath.

"Okay, now put your hands here..."


	42. Chapter 42

Here's a semi-quick update! It's a little more of a filler...

Chapter 42

Haley looked down at Nathan's phone when it started ringing, glancing over at his napping form. His legs were strewn across her lap, laying on his side, looking like he was in a deep sleep. She looked back at the screen, raising her eyebrows at the name that appeared.

May Scott, Nathan's paternal grandmother was calling him.

Did she answer? Should she wake him up? She really wanted to know what this phone call was about.

Before she could decide, the phone stopping ringing. A minute later, and a voicemail popped up.

She bit down on her thumbnail lightly, willing herself not to pick up the phone and listen to whatever message was left.

After a moment of mulling it over, she decided to say screw it. Nathan wouldn't be upset, and if he was, he'd forgive her.

Haley picked up his phone, unlocking it quickly, tapping on the phone app, before clicking on the voicemails.

She frowned, shaking her head at the sight. His grandmother had been leaving voicemails on his phone for the past week and a half, close to two weeks it seemed. He'd listened to all of them, but from his call history, it looked as though he had made no attempts to call her back.

She pressed the phone to her ear, listening to the most recent voicemail.

'Nathan, it's your Grandma May. We've been in California for a little over a week, and it doesn't look like you're going to show up. Lucas and Karen told us that you live in North Carolina now with a new girlfriend. We'll be here for another week, if you happen to decide to show up. We love you, Nathan, give me a call back...'

The sweet voice said, making Haley tense up inside, glancing over at Nathan quickly.

She so badly wanted to call her back.

With another glance at Nathan, she scrolled down to the very first voicemail that May had left, sucking in a deep breath and tapping on it.

'Nathan, it's your Grandma May and your Grandpa Royal. We're planning on traveling to California in a few days to pay Lucas, Lily, and Karen a visit. I know it's short notice, but we'd love to see you there. It's been awhile since we've seen you, and I know it's difficult and awkward when we get together, but I really hope you'll consider-'

She was cut off by a gruff, unhappy sounding voice.

'The boy isn't going to come, May, and I don't blame him.'

'Quiet, Royal. Anyways, Nathan, we hope to see you soon!'

Haley covered her mouth, biting her lip nervously. She really, really should not be doing this...

But that didn't stop her from listening to the next voicemail, and the next one, and the next, until she had listened to every pleading word that his grandmother had left for him. Every story about Lily, and how it's so nice to finally be able to spend time with Karen and Lucas.

She couldn't even imagine the agony that Royal and May had gone through. Both of their son's had passed on before them, not to mention they had to live with the fact that one of them was responsible for the other one's death.

They deserved to see their grandson every once and awhile. He should put on a nice face, and go see his grandparents.

Haley dropped Nathan's phone quickly when she felt him start to stir, looking at him like a deer in headlights.

"What?" Nathan asked her, clearing his throat and rubbing his eyes.

"I, um, nothing," She responded, offering him a sweet smile.

"Haley, what's going on? You have that look, the one where there's something you want to say, but you don't really want to say it..." He trailed off, looking at his phone that she'd dropped on the couch next to him.

He grabbed it slowly, the screen still lit up with his voicemail box. "Haley..."

"I'm sorry, Nathan, she called, and I got curious, and then I just couldn't stop..." Haley defended, letting out a deep breath and looking at him. "It's none of my business, I know..."

Nathan sat up slowly, moving his legs off of her, rubbing his neck and looking down at the new voicemail. He clicked on it, holding it to his ear.

"Why didn't you tell me?" She asked him after a moment, raising her eyebrows.

"Because it doesn't matter, Hales, I don't want to go..." He responded, shrugging his shoulders and looking at her. "It's too intense for me."

"I'll come with you," She offered, running her fingers through his hair.

"I don't like going back home, Haley, I've made that very clear. I act like a complete ass," He said, shaking his head quickly. "I wish you wouldn't have done this..."

"Well now I have no problems telling you off when you're being a jerk, Nathan," She argued, trying to put a lighter note into the conversation. "I'm sorry for snooping, but come on, Nathan... Go see them."

"They don't want to see me, Haley. They just feel guilty. I'm sure the only reason my grandpa is there is because Karen and Lily are involved and he's always had a soft for them," He said, sighing softly. "I don't mean to be an asshole to her, Hales, but I just can't call her back and tell her no, so this is easier."

"I think we should go," She said again, wrapping his arm around his shoulders, resting her hand on his cheek, turning his face to look at her.

"I don't think you get it, Haley. You've met Lucas and Cooper. They're like two of the most relaxed guys in the world," He said, shaking his head. "You've never met my grandpa. He bullied my dad, maybe even harder than my dad bullied me, and then he continued it with me."

"Have you had a real conversation with him since Keith?" Haley asked, raising her eyebrows at him. "Maybe he's changed."

"I don't know, Haley," Nathan responded, letting out a deep breath. "My grandma is okay though..."

"I'm going to go pack, okay? We're leaving tonight," She said, standing up quickly, leaning down and kissing him. "I'm sorry I looked through your phone."

"Wait, Haley..." He groaned, shaking his head. "The last day of practice is tomorrow."

"Make their day, end it a day early. We have to go, Nathan, or else you're going to regret it."

xxxx

And that's how he ended up in California once again, Haley standing at his side in the airport, attempting to look for their luggage.

"It's right there," He grumbled, pointing to a black duffle bag, shrugging his shoulders.

"Yours is a Nike bag, Nathan, that one is Under Armour," She laughed, shaking her head and pinching his side. "Stop being grumpy, alright?"

"You got it," He responded, shrugging his shoulders, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Oh wait, I see it," Haley said, stepping forward quickly, grabbing the Nike bag, looking over her shoulder, throwing it to him quickly.

Nathan caught it with ease, slinging the strap over his shoulder. He stretched his legs, which were still a little cramped from the plane ride. Of course, they pretty much had the worst seats a person can have because they bought the tickets super late.

"There's yours," Nathan said quickly, pointing to a black suitcase with a ribbon tied around the handle that Haley put there to separate it from others.

Haley quickly grabbed it, a grin forming on her face since that could finally leave the crowd. She began to pull it away, when suddenly someone else tugged it in the opposite direction.

She looked at the guy that was pulling it away, shaking her head quickly. "Hey, this is my bag."

He laughed, raising his eyebrows at her. "No, I'm pretty sure this is mine. See the red ribbon?"

"No, I tied the red ribbon on it," Haley said, tugging on it again. He was laughing still, which was making her feel flustered and irritated.

"Why don't we open it up and see?" He suggested, winking at her.

"I'm not going to open up my suitcase in the middle of the crowd," She said, shaking her head and shrugging. "Trust me, it's mine..."

"Here..." The guy trailed off, pulling a gum wrapper out of his pocket and a pen, writing on it. "I'll take your word for it, but if it does end up being my bag, why don't you give me a call? I'm Josh."

It clicked in Haley's brain as soon as she took the paper and saw a phone number written across it that this guy was hitting on her. Pretty interesting way of doing so, and it would be kind of cute, if she didn't already have a boyfriend.

A boyfriend that had stormed over to her, his chest pressing against her back, raising his eyebrows at the guy in front of her.

"She doesn't need it, man, this is her bag," Nathan grumbled, taking the wrapper from her hand, wadding it up and tossing it at him. "Come on, Hales."

Without another word, the guy had let go of the bag, stepping back. Nathan grabbed it from Haley's hand, looking at her and offering her a small smile.

When they'd broken out of the crowd, Haley rested her hand on Nathan's arm. "Jealous?"

"No," He said, looking down at her and shaking his head. "I just don't think he should've been hitting on you," He mumbled, shrugging his shoulders.

"Hey," She grabbed onto his shirt, pulling him to a stop. She looked up at him, offering him a small smile. "You okay?"

He let out a deep breath, pulling her suitcase into an upright position, letting his duffle bag drop to the ground. He wrapped his arms around her, kissing her forehead. "Just nervous. I don't mean to come off mad or anything, I'm stressed, and I guess I got a little jealous when I saw that guy handing you his number."

Haley smiled, touching his cheek lightly, kissing him briefly. "It's going to be alright, Nathan."

"When I hear you say that, I believe it," He chuckled, nodding at her. "It's late in North Carolina too, So I think that I'll be ready to go straight to bed."

"Thankfully we decided on a hotel room this trip, so you might actually get some sleep," She said, running her fingers through his freshly cut hair. She'd made him let her cut it before they'd left to go to the airport so that he could look a little bit neater for his grandparents.

"Probably a good call," He said, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I promise not to let this time end up like last time."

"Good," Haley said, smiling at him, standing on her toes and kissing him again. "What did you tell your grandma, by the way?"

"Oh, I just texted her 'on my way' and then I messaged her again when we landed and told her we were here," He said, slinging his bag on his shoulder once again, grabbing the handle of her suitcase.

"Does she know I'm coming?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah, I'm not sure. Maybe Lucas or Karen mentioned that you'd probably come," He said, shrugging and looking over at her.

Haley laughed, hitting her palm against her forehead. "Oh, Nathan..." She said, rolling her eyes and linking her arm with his. "Who is picking us up this time?"

"A cab," He said, nodding at her. "I think my grandpa would get cranky in the airport. He doesn't understand modern things. Honestly, I don't know how my grandma does it," He chuckled, stopping on the escalator.

"I think you might be exaggerating a little bit, Nathan," She laughed, shrugging her shoulders, squeezing his bicep.

"You'll see," He said, kissing her forehead again.

Haley smiled slightly, watching as Nathan led them through the airport like a pro. It was quite impressive to watch him take charge and guide them along with ease. It was a familiar area to him, and not to mention that he lived in New York, where you pretty much have to be at least a little pushy to survive.

"Stop checking me out, Haley," He laughed, winking at her.

"Never," She chuckled, letting out a deep breath. "You know, for hating California so much, you sure do look confident walking around this airport."

"I have to take charge if we ever want to get out of here. You like stopping me to much," He joked, shrugging his shoulders.

"That I do," She confirmed, smiling at him. "I'm sorry we had such terrible seats on the plane."

"It's okay, I'll survive. Not looking forward to the taxi ride either," He said, shrugging his shoulders.

She laughed, rubbing her hand over his shoulder. "Poor baby, you can reach the top shelf."

"Don't mock me, Haley James," He said, shooting her a dirty look, which was quickly followed up by a smile.

"I love you," She hummed out, letting out a deep breath when the warm California air finally hit them.

"I love you too," He responded, coming to a stop, running his hand through his hair.

A moment later, a car pulled up for them. Nathan quickly threw their stuff in the trunk, gesturing for Haley to get in the back seat, following close behind her as she did.

Haley lifted her head up off Nathan shoulder when he shook her awake as they pulled up to their hotel. She sent him an apologetic smile, getting out of the car slowly. She walked to the trunk, pulling out their stuff while Nathan exchanged a few words with the cab driver.

Nathan let out a deep breath, walking back to Haley, letting her lead him into the hotel.

After a few more minutes, they finally stepped into their hotel room.

"This is nice, it's-"

"Let's call Brooke," Nathan cut her off, offering her a small grin.

"Really?" Haley asked him, raising her eyebrows and laughing.

"Let's FaceTime Brooke," He corrected himself, turning to look at her. "I miss him."

Haley grinned up at him, raising her hand and resting it on his jaw, her fingertips lightly fiddling with his ear. "That's really cute," She admitted to him.

He avoiding her gaze for a second, offering her a small shrug, before meeting her eyes again. "You don't miss him?"

"I do," She said, letting out a deep breath. "Okay, you're right. She's probably still awake."

Nathan chuckled, dropping his arm around her shoulder, leaning down and pressing a loud kiss to her ear.

Haley jumped away, rubbing at her ear and shaking her head, laughing quietly. "You don't want to play this game with me, Scott. I'll start tickling you," She warned, smirking as he held his hands up and backed off immediately.

"You're right, let's call him," He laughed, turning her away from him, grabbing her phone out of her back pocket, finding Brooke's name in her contacts.

"We're calling Brooke, I don't think he'll even notice us," Haley laughed, shrugging.

Nathan grabbed onto her hand, leading her into the kitchen area and taking a seat, pulling her down so that she was sitting across his lap.

After a few more rings, Brooke picked up the call, glasses on and looking very tired.

"This better be important," She laughed, yawning quietly.

"Brooke, I'm so sorry, we thought you'd still be awake," Haley laughed, covering her mouth.

"Where's Scout?" Nathan asked her, a sheepish smile forming on his face.

"Ah, so you're going to be those types of parents, hm? Can't handle a few hours?" Brooke asked them, laughing.

"Maybe," Nathan admitted, chuckling quietly. "Can we please see him?"

"Did I just get a please out of Nathan Scott? So polite, he must be desperate," Brooke teased him, sitting up a bit straighter in bed.

Haley laughed, wrapping her arm around Nathan's shoulder and resting her cheek against his head.

Brooke turned the camera around, revealing the dimly lit picture of their little puppy sprawled out next to next to her on the bed.

"Oh, baby," Haley cooed, smiling at the sight in front of her. "My little angel."

"He wasn't an angel earlier when he was about to use my hardwood floors as a bathroom," Brooke said, shaking her head and laughing. She reached her hand out, petting Scout.

"He's a puppy," Nathan reminded her, smiling as he rolled over onto his back in his sleep, letting Brooke scratch his stomach.

"Well baby James-Scott is having the best time with Aunt Brooke, so much so that I've decided to forgive him for all his wrong doings, and any wrong doings that may happen in the future," Brooke laughed, letting out a deep breath.

"He's a little sweetheart," Haley said, smiling slightly. "You could've stayed at our house, he's more familiar with it so he won't have any accidents in the house," She said, rubbing Nathan's shoulder lightly.

"He has to be familiar with my house, I'm planning on stealing him," Brooke laughed, shrugging her shoulders. "Plus, we're going to go to the beach tomorrow. And it's right outside, not to mention private property, so I won't have a lot of people distracting him from me."

Nathan laughed, rolling his eyes and smiling at her comment. "Thank you for watching him, Brooke. It was such short notice."

"I'm just bummed out that I didn't get to hang out with Haley while I was in town. What happened to hoes over bros, Hales?" She asked, laughing quietly.

"You could fly out here and bring him," Haley reminded her, shrugging her shoulders.

"I'm not sure that Lucas and I are in the meet the grandparents stage of our relationship. When I met Karen, I wasn't exactly the cool and collected person I usually am. I talked so fast, and I couldn't stop and I shared way too much information and Lucas and me. It was bad. I can't imagine meeting grandparents," Brooke said, shrugging and tickling Scout's foot lightly. "I really like him, though, Hales. You know, like a lot. More than I've ever liked anyone, I think," She told her, turning the camera to herself.

"Like, enough to drop the 'L-bomb'?" Haley asked her, raising her eyebrows.

"Ah, I don't know, how soon is too soon? I mean, we hung out for a little while, made out and then some, before we made it official. But we're both so busy, how can I make it work? I mean, I live in New York, and Tree Hill, I don't even have a house anywhere on the West Coast. I haven't ever told a guy that, Haley, and you know that," Brooke groaned, running a frustrated hand through her hair. "How do I handle this?"

Haley smiled at her, "Brooke Davis, you're the best person I know. He'd be insane not to fall in love with you," She reminded her. "You should tell him how you feel, but only if you're positive."

"Who said it first with you two?" Brooke asked, raising her eyebrows.

Haley glanced down at Nathan, who had completely zoned out of the conversation, and was staring off in to space. She smiled slightly, raising her hand up and pointing at his head.

"Really? He's terrified to tell you all about his life, but he drops that he loves you first?" She asked her, laughing.

"He held it in for months," Haley said, pressing a kiss to Nathan's head. "Like the whole time we were broken up, or whatever you want to call it, he was holding it in. And it wasn't like a super significant moment when he told me. He didn't take me out to a fancy dinner, or do a picnic on the beach. It was in my kitchen, while we were moving into our house. He saw my tattoo-"

"Your tramp stamp," Brooke cut her off.

"My tattoo," Haley repeated, rolling her eyes and smiling. "And I was rambling about how it was my choice and he didn't have a say, and I thought it was sexy-"

"It is sexy," Brooke cut her off once again, nodding.

"And he just kind of blurted it out," Haley smiled, kissing Nathan's head again. "It was perfect."

"It sounds perfect," Brooke said, letting out a deep breath. "I'm going to do some real soul searching with your baby this week, and see if this is what I really want. If it is, I'm going to do it. I don't have to wait around for him to say it first. I just figured that Lucas is smooth with words, so he could be stuck with the cute speech, and I could just hit him back with the response."

Haley laughed, rolling her eyes. "Brooke, you're amazing. Don't forget it, and don't settle for anyone that doesn't see that. But I know that Lucas does see that in you, because he's told me."

"You've got both the Scott men on speed dial, don't you?" Brooke laughed, raising her eyebrows.

Haley chuckled, rubbing Nathan's shoulder again and shaking her head. "I'll let you go back to sleep. We're sorry for waking you up," She said, nudging Nathan lightly.

Nathan snapped out of his zone, looking at the camera. "Goodnight Brooke, goodnight Scout."

"Goodnight," Haley said, waving at the camera, before shutting off her phone completely. "Hey," She said, turning Nathan's head to her and kissing him lightly. "I love you."

He smiled at her, draping his arm across her legs, letting out a deep breath. "I love you too, Haley James," He mumbled, yawning quietly.

"I'm going to text Lucas and tell him that we're wiped out, and we'll meet him in the morning, is that okay?" She asked him, brushing her fingertips down his face.

"Yeah," Nathan mumbled, fishing his phone out of his pocket, handing it to Haley.

Haley sent a quick message to Lucas, before shutting off Nathan's phone completely as well. "Come on, sweetheart," She said, standing up and holding her hand out to him. "Let's get you in bed."

"Sounds like a good idea," He said, running his hand through his hair. "You and Brooke's conversation almost put me to sleep," He chuckled, grabbing onto her hand and standing up.

Haley smiled, walking over to her suitcase, getting out her night time bag, before pulling Nathan's out of his, leading him into the bathroom.

"You have the extra cuddly look on your face," Nathan informed her, wetting his toothbrush, putting toothpaste on it, and wetting it again, before shoving it into his mouth.

"I'm feeling a little extra cuddly tonight," She informed him, taking a step closer to his side, smiling when he dropped his arm around her shoulders. She began he nightly routine, every once and awhile raising her arm to brush it against Nathan's back and shoulders, or resting her head against his arm, a small smile pinned to her face with every interaction.

Nathan chuckled quietly, finishing up his night routine, kissing the top of Haley's head. He stood by her side, waiting for her. Once she was finished, he leaned down, pressing a light kiss to her lips.

"Mm, minty fresh," Haley laughed, pressing her face into his shoulder, letting out a deep breath.

He smiled, rubbing his hands up and down her back, closing his eyes.

"Come on, let's go to bed," She said softly, taking a step away, grabbing onto his hand.

Nathan followed her lead, settling into the bed next to her and letting out a deep breath, raising his arm up a bit so that she could cuddle into his side.

Haley gladly did so, her head resting against his chest. She flattened her palm against his stomach, smiling slightly.

"Tomorrow is going to be crazy," He whispered to her.

"We'll be alright, Nathan," She reminded him, nodding her head.

"We will be, of course, but we'll see how everyone else is," Nathan chuckled, sighing softly.

Haley threw one leg over Nathan's leg, tilting her head and kissing his chest. "I love you, and that's why we're going to be okay."

"You too," He hummed, looking down at her. "Is everything alright with you?"

"Yeah," Haley whispered out, scratching her fingertips along Nathan's t-shirt covered stomach. Recounting their shared 'I love you' story to Brooke made her feel whole. It made her feel warm inside, and it definitely made her want to never stop hugging Nathan. She loved how much they grown individually and grown together in such a short time of knowing each other.

She looked up at him again, raising her hand from his stomach to rest on his cheek.

"I'm perfect."


	43. Chapter 43

**I am so sorry. This chapter has been so hard for me to write, and it's probably because I don't necessarily feel like I know some of these characters well enough to write about them. Again, I apologize and I'll try to do better.**

**Chapter 43** Nathan dribbled the ball down the court, sweat dripping off his skin, breathing heavily. It couldn't be much later than seven in the morning, but the stress of the day made it difficult for him to sleep. So he semi-woke up Haley, told her he was going to go get a work out in, to which she responded with a hand wave and a word he couldn't quite make out, and left. He had not played basketball on the black top court since he was eighteen years old. Similar to the river court, yes, but way nicer in physical appearance. The blacktop was perfect, almost untouched, lines clearly painted on it, and repainted every few months. He didn't worry that the rim was going to fall every time the ball hit it, but it had much less character. He really had missed playing basketball on it though. It was pretty close to the highway, but since it was so early in the morning, it was still pretty quiet. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw one car fly past. Definitely going over the speed limit. It wasn't long though before he heard the squeal of breaks, and then the car turn around and start heading back in his direction, a smirk forming on his face. He stepped up to the free throw line, beginning to practice free throws, keeping his gaze on the hoop as the car pulled up to the court. The Comet. Some would say the second love of Peyton Sawyer's life, after himself, of course. Who was he kidding? Peyton would have chosen the car over him in a heart beat. The door opened and slammed shut, the once blonde and curly haired now turned a darker brown with a red tint with a little bit of wave, former girlfriend of both Nathan and Lucas Scott stepped out of the vehicle. "As I live and breathe, is that Nathan Scott playing basketball?" Peyton asked, her eyes wide. "Still speeding, Sawyer?" Nathan asked, glancing in her direction. "Still an ass, Scott?" Peyton laughed, raising her eyebrows at him. "Nathan, what the hell are you doing here?" "Visiting." "Apparently I didn't get the memo," She responded, shaking her head and stepping onto the court. "Your foxy girlfriend didn't tell me." "Yeah, it was last minute. My grandma guilted Haley into it," He chuckled, shooting the ball and watching it sail into the basket. "That's the Nathan I know, the one that makes baskets," Peyton laughed, "Well get over here and give me a hug, buddy." Nathan chuckled, stepping over and giving her a quick hug. "How often do you and Haley talk?" "Enough for me to keep tabs on you," Peyton laughed, shrugging her shoulders and patting his shoulder. "To be honest, I never thought I'd see you on this court again." Nathan chuckled, hurrying over to pick up the basketball once again, tucking it under his arm, rested on his hip. "Yeah, well..." "So the grandparents are in town, hm?" Peyton asked, leaning against the hood of her car. "I almost got away with not coming here," Nathan grumbled, sighing softly. "She was on my phone or something with my grandma called and then listened to all the voicemails she's been leaving." "Aw, poor baby, almost got away with avoiding his family that just wants to know he's doing alright," She mocked, stepping forward and pushing the basketball out from under his arm. "Very funny. So yeah, we're in town for a couple of days. I'm sure Haley would have told you since you guys are best friends now or whatever," He said, chasing after the ball, dribbling it a few times. "Hey, I was expecting her to hate me because you kicked her out of a hotel room to yell at me. Seemed awfully suspicious," She countered, tapping the hood of the car. "Touché," He replied, sighing softly. "Where were you speeding too?" "I was going to go do some landscape painting," Peyton hummed, nodding over at him. "What? Are you getting soft? I've never heard of you painting something that wasn't angsty," He laughed, spinning the ball on his finger. "I've evolved, you haven't seen anything since high school, and even then you hardly looked," She reminded him, letting out a deep breath. "It's still early enough where things are quiet." "I get that. That's why I'm here," He said, shrugging slightly. "Can I get a ride back to my hotel though? I ran here." "You'll get sweat all over my seats. No way," Peyton laughed, standing up and shaking her head, walking around and getting in the drivers seat. Nathan chuckled, following her lead and getting in the front passenger side. "I can't believe you still drive this." "Why is that so hard to believe?" Peyton asked him, raising her eyebrows. "All the wrecks this car has been in... I thought for sure it would be junkyard material," He chuckled, buckling his seatbelt and leaning back. "I take great care of it," She argued, rolling her eyes. "I'm sure this is going to be the car your kids grow up with," He laughed, dropping his arm outside the car since the top was down, smoothing his hand along the black exterior. "I guess I know what you think about when you see your future now," She hummed, grinning over at him. "Oh, I plan to have a lot of kids with Haley," Nathan said, shrugging his shoulders, dropping the basketball at his feet. "We're going to need a big huge van." Peyton raised her eyebrows, shaking her head. "Is this a plan that she knows about?" He laughed, shrugging again and looking out the windshield, tapping his hand against the car. She smiled at him, pulling away from the blacktop court. "I think she's awesome, Nathan." "I don't really care," He joked, rubbing his neck. "Thanks, Peyton. But I don't know if we need to get all sentimental with each other. We've never been that duo." "Message received," She hummed, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel. "But you played Cupid in my life, so shouldn't I get a say in yours?" "Jake?" Nathan asked, raising his eyebrows. "Nothing serious," Peyton responded, glancing over at him. "He lives in a different state." "I've been to Georgia plenty of times. Not a bad place," He commented, clearing his throat. "Slow your roll there, not all of us are ready to admit love and move to another state on the second date," She replied, laughing. He smiled, shaking his head. "He's a UNC fan though, which means I'd have no other option but to wear Blue Devil Blue every time I'm around you." "I didn't realize that Duke owned the color royal blue now?" "Shut up," He laughed, rolling his eyes and leaning back in his seat, yawning. "Can I ask what makes Haley so different to you?" She asked him after a moment, glancing over. "I'd prefer you didn't," He said, looking down at his lap and rubbing his neck. "I don't know, Peyt... All I know is when I look at her, I feel like I'm looking at my future. I used to feel so stressed out a nervous because I thought she was going to run. She forced me to care for myself first. She saved my life." "Good," She responded, smiling at him. "That's it?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows. "Good?" "Great," She corrected herself, laughing. "I don't know, did you expect tears? You should know I'm not the biggest cryer..." "Just take me to my hotel." "On it." Peyton had turned up the radio after that and followed Nathan's directions to the hotel where he and Haley were staying. "You want to come in?" He asked as he climbed out of the car, raising his eyebrows. "No, that's okay. I really wanted to go paint. I'll catch up with you guys later though?" She replied, nodding at him. "Sounds good," He responded, tossing his basketball back in the car. "Now I'll have to come back for this, which means I can't avoid you forever." Peyton laughed, rolling her eyes. "Deal." "See ya, Peyt," He said, tapping his hand on her car, waving and stepping into the hotel as she drove away. After a short elevator ride up to the room, he felt his pockets, before letting out a deep sigh. No room key. Of course. He raised his fist, knocking on the door quietly. It wasn't long before Haley stepped to the door, a grin on her face. "Room service?" He asked, raising his eyebrows. "I'm sorry, I didn't order anything..." She trailed off, winking at him. "Consider it a special delivery," He hummed, leaning forward and kissing her for a moment, before backing her into the room and closing the door behind him with his foot. "Well my boyfriend will be back any minute," She joked with him, kissing him again. "Don't worry, I can work fast..." "We're supposed to meet his grandparents today and if he knew what was good for him he would've been back five minutes ago..." "He's not going to show," He responded, backing her up towards the couch. "Nathan," She said, tilting her head to the side as he trailed his lips down her neck. He smiled against her skin, gripping her waist tightly, pulling her closer to him. "Nathan," Haley said again, pushing on his shoulder lightly. That's when he realized neither the first 'Nathan' or the second were her asking him to continue, it was her polite way of telling him to go shower and get ready. He sighed softly, parting himself from her with a frown. "Don't look at me like that," She said, tapping his chest lightly. "I promise I'll order make believe room service tonight." He laughed, kissing her one more time. "I wasn't expecting you to look so good when you opened the door." Haley raised an eyebrow at his compliment, looking up at him. "Wow, that came out completely wrong," He laughed, kissing her again in an attempt to smooth things over. "I just meant that I didn't know you were going to be ready to go." "I know," She laughed, touching his cheek lightly, smiling up at him. "I knew I better get ready before you got back because then we'd be an hour late for brunch." "Why? Because you can't resist me?" "Maybe," She hummed, winking at him. "I figured if I already had my hair done I wouldn't jump in the shower with you." "Good point," He sighed, "You know, I don't mind being a little late." "You should know that I'm punctual," She reminded him, brushing her fingers through his hair. Nathan smiled, kissing her again. "You're right. I'll go get ready." "I hung your clothes in the bathroom," Haley replied, nodding at him. "Can't risk you walking out in just a towel." "Makes sense," He laughed, tucking her hair behind her ear. Haley rolled her eyes, giving him a playful slap on the butt as he headed into the bathroom, grinning at him. Nathan left the door open behind, beginning to undress to get into the shower. "Guess who I ran into today?" She raised her eyebrows, stepping to the bathroom door, leaning against the frame. "Who?" "Peyton," He replied, climbing into the shower and letting out a deep breath. "Where did you see her?" She asked, crossing her arms. "I was playing basketball and she sped past me in her car. Practically slammed on her breaks to turn around and see if it was really me," He chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. "How's she doing?" She questioned, humming softly. "I think she's alright. Gave me the chance to gush about how in love with you I am, which you know how much I like doing that," He responded. Haley couldn't stop the grin that formed on her face, biting down on her bottom lip lightly. "I think she has a thing for Jake, so sorry about that. I guess he's off the market," He laughed. "Don't say something so sweet then throw something annoying in with it," She groaned, rolling her eyes. "I'm just teasing," He laughed, stepping out of the shower a moment later. "Record time, Haley James. Take notes, that was a quick shower," He hummed, wrapping the towel around his waist. "What happened to not wanting to see me?" "You opened your mouth and I decided that I could control myself," She responded, smiling at him. "Ouch," He laughed, shaking his head. "You do realize we still have awhile before we need to leave, don't you?" "I was thinking we could stop by a flower shop and get your grandma some flowers," She suggested, shrugging her shoulders. "That's not really how the Scott family works," He informed her. "Uh huh," She replied, looking in the mirror and reapplying the color on her lips. "I'm serious," He said, sighing softly, drying himself off quickly, before pulling on his clothes. "Why can't we just get her some flowers, Nathan?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows. "Because... Because it's weird!" "What's so weird about it? You bring me flowers?" "Yeah but you're my girlfriend!" "Well then I'll get them for her," She said, looking over at him. "Come on, Nathan, it will be sweet." "My grandpa won't think it's sweet," He said, rolling his eyes and sighing softly, buttoning up his shirt slowly. "You look handsome," She said, turning to him, resting her hands on his chest. "Stroking my ego so I'll agree? You know me so well," He said, letting out a deep breath. She smiled up at him, shaking her head. "I don't need you to agree, Nathan," She laughed. He pouted, stepping up to the counter top and beginning to put gel in his hair, smiling slightly as Haley rubbed her hand over his back. "What else did Peyton say?" She asked, resting her head against his shoulder. "She gave me a ride home because I was tired, and then I tried to get her to come say hi but she really wanted to go paint something, and said she'd meet us later," He said, fiddling with his hair until he was satisfied with it. "Awesome," Haley hummed, looking up at him and letting out a deep breath. "I love you." "I love you too, angel," He hummed, washing his hands then dropping his arm behind her shoulder. "You ready to go get some stupid flowers?" She laughed, tapping her nose with his finger. "I am," She confirmed, stepping out of the bathroom. "Let me warn you in the privacy of our hotel room, my grandparents are intense. They're pretty much complete opposites. My grandpa will bite your head off and my grandma will try to put it back on all in the span of two minutes," He informed her, shrugging his shoulders. "Don't you think maybe they've changed a little bit after everything they've been through?" Haley responded, glancing over her shoulder at him. "I've just learned never to hope or think anything when it comes to this side of my family," He replied, nearly running into her when she stopped walking abruptly. She turned around, resting her hands on his shoulders. "Sometimes people change, Nathan. Sometimes they learn from difficult things and appreciate the people in their lives more," She said, standing on her toes and kissing him lightly. "I'm not afraid to stand up for you if I feel like you're being mistreated." "Even to my grandparents?" He asked, raising his eyebrows. "Even to them. You're my man and no one gets to disrespect you," She hummed, sliding her hands down his arms and letting out a deep breath. "I'd stand up for you too," He said, smiling down at her. She nodded at him, turning back around and letting out a deep breath. "But, I'm willing to bet ten dollars that my grandpa finds something wrong with me within the first five minutes of seeing him," Nathan said, smirking at her. "Maybe he's changed, but he can't keep his mouth shut sometimes." She raised her eyebrows, laughing quietly. "Okay, you know what? I'll take that bet..." "Great, I'm not even going to bring my wallet, that's how sure I am," He said, picking up his wallet off the table for a moment, before tossing it down. "Alright, but don't expect me to buy anything for you when you're caught between a hard place and a rock," She hummed, looking at him. "Maybe you better bring it, just in case." He smiled at her, picking it up slowly and shoving it into the back pocket of his jeans. "Are you using me for my money?" "Maybe," She hummed, pinching his chin, picking up his phone and handing it to him. "Might want this too." "Good call," He replied, leaning down and kissing her again. "Okay, ready to go?" "Ready to go." xxxx Haley glanced over as they climbed out of the cab, hooking her arm through Nathan's and offering him a smile. "Brunch is so stupid, right?" He grumbled, glancing down at the flowers in her hand. "So stupid," She agreed, nodding at him. "But that's what they wanted to do." He smiled, kissing her head and letting out a quiet sigh. "Ready to face the madness?" He asked her, glancing at what was once Karen's home, but now it belonged to Lucas. "Of course," She said, holding out the flowers to him. "You sure you don't want to take them?" "I'm sure," He said, letting her pull him forward, raising his fist and knocking on the door. Haley gave his bicep a soft squeeze, glancing up at her boyfriend's face. She could tell he was hiding the stress with a stone face that kind of made him look pretty angry. "Relax," She whispered to him, smiling slightly. Nathan looked down at her, shrugging his shoulders. He looked back up when the door opened, letting out a sigh of relief that it was Lucas that answered. Lucas smiled, pulling Haley from Nathan and into a hug. "My favorite person in the world just showed up. Finally." Haley laughed, hugging Lucas back, rolling her eyes. "Oh yeah?" "How could you not be?" He asked, pressing a loud, friendly kiss to her head, before looking at Nathan. "Good to see you, little brother." "Luke," Nathan greeted him, before hugging him briefly. "How's it going?" "Good, good," Luke replied, nodding at the flowers. "Those for me?" "Of course," Haley joked, winking at him, wrapping her arm around Nathan's waist, rubbing his side lightly. "Ready to come in?" Lucas laughed, raising his eyebrows. "Yes," Haley hummed out, looking up at Nathan and shrugging slightly. Lucas nodded, leading them through the house and into the backyard where everyone was sitting at a picnic table, "Look who it is!" "Oh, Nathan!" May said quickly, standing up from her seat at the table, rushing over and hugging him tightly. "Hey grandma," Nathan said, hugging her with one arm until Haley nudged the they and he raised his other arm to hug her. "My sweet grandson," May smiled, pinching his cheek lightly. "You look great." It wasn't long before his grandfather was standing at her side, shaking Nathan's hand. "Nathan," He greeted gruffly, nodding at him. "You always wear your pants so tight?" "Yeah, I do. This is Haley," Nathan said, gesturing to her, a smirking forming on his face. Haley knew that smirk. He'd just won their bet. "And these are for you," She hummed, holding out the flowers to May. "They're beautiful," May responded, smiling at her. She had kind eyes. Vibrant blue, similar to her boyfriend's. Hers also had the same broken look in them, and quite frankly, Haley couldn't blame her. Having to deal with the trauma that this family had dealt with... She didn't even want to think about it. "It's so nice to meet you," Haley said, shaking each of their hands. "It's nice to meet you too, Haley," May said, offering her a smile. "It would have been nice to know that our grandson had a serious girlfriend." "My bad," Nathan forced out, wrapping his arm around Haley's shoulders, pulling her into his side. "How have you been, Nathan? It's been years since we've seen you," May asked him, touching his cheek lightly. "Walking," Nathan responded, gesturing to his legs and clearing his throat. "Good job, boy," Royal said, patting him on the shoulder. "We knew you'd get out of that damn chair eventually. Thankfully Lucas and Karen have been kind enough to keep us updated on you since your phone doesn't work." "Oh, Royal, leave him alone," May grumbled out, shaking her head. "It's so nice to see you again, Nathan." It didn't take Haley long to realize that Nathan wasn't really exaggerating about his grandparents. His grandpa was grumpy, but his grandma was the opposite. She was kind. Nathan cleared his throat, sighing softly. "It's nice to see you again too." Haley smiled up at him, before her eyes moved over at Karen and who she assumed was Karen's new husband sitting next to her. "Hi Karen!" "Haley," Karen replied, offering her a warm smile and standing up, heading over to the pair. "Lily has been waiting all day for you to get here. She was staring out the window forever, but now I think she's inside playing." "I'll go get her," Lucas offered, smiling at his mother and heading inside. "Good boy," Karen laughed, before turning to Andy. "Haley, Nathan, this is my new husband Andy." Nathan was thankful for the new interaction, because he could feel his grandparents wanting to talk more, and he really hated talking to pretty much anyone but Haley. "Andy. Nice to meet you," Nathan said, shaking his hand when Andy walked over. "You too," Andy said, nodding his head. Haley smiled at him, shaking his hand as well. He was cute. Really cute, and the Australian accent was definitely a bonus. He looked only a few years older than them, but he had a very mature presence. Lucas had sent her and Nathan photos from the small wedding Karen had, only consisting over her, Andy, and the two kids, but the pictures didn't do him justice. She looked over at Karen, nodding her head when Andy glanced away. 'Cute' she mouthed, winking at her. Karen laughed, mouthing back 'I know' Nathan scowled slightly, nudging his girlfriend and raising one eyebrow at her. Haley and Karen both laughed, before Haley linked her arm through Nathan's. "I don't want to know," Andy said, shaking his head. "Yeah, you don't," Nathan grumbled, letting out a deep breath. "I love you," Haley hummed quietly, squeezing his arm. He shock his head, kissing her forehead, before turning his attention away. "Sit down, grandma, you don't need to stay standing for us," Nathan said, gesturing for her to sit down. May smiled, patting his shoulder and sitting back down at the picnic table. "Have a seat next to me, Nathan..." Nathan sat down beside her, glancing over at Haley and tapping his fingers on the table. Haley was about to take a seat next to him when Lily ran outside, grinning at her. "Haley!" Haley turned around, smiling down at her and hugging her. "Did you bring Scout?" Lily asked her quickly, looking up at her excitedly. "Who's Scout?" May cut in, raising her eyebrows. "Their son," Lucas cut in, a grin forming on his face. "A son?!" May asked, looking at Nathan quickly. "No!" Nathan said quickly, shaking his head. "Scout it our dog." Lucas burst into laughter, patting Nathan's back. "I was just messing with you." "I think you almost gave her a heart attack," Royal chuckled, taking a seat on May's opposite side. "Did you bring him?" Lily asked Haley again, ignoring the rest of the group. "Not this time," Haley said, her cheeks tinting at Luke's comment. "I have a bunch of pictures of him if you want to see?" "Lucas showed me some, but I want to see more! I want a puppy!" Lily whined, tugging on Haley's hand. "Alright, well I have plenty," Haley hummed, taking her phone out of her pocket. She glanced down at Nathan, raising her eyebrows. Nathan nodded slowly to let her go off to sit in the grass with Lily, sucking in a deep breath. Hopefully he didn't regret that. "So Nathan," May said, smiling at him. "Let's hear about what's been going on with you." "Not much," Nathan chuckled, scratching his neck. "We haven't talked to you in such a long time, tell us everything." Lucas took a seat across from Nathan, resting his elbows on the table and making eye contact with him, only glancing over when Karen went inside to finish breakfast. "Well, I met Haley," He said, glancing over at his girlfriend. "And when did you meet her?" May urged him, smiling slightly. "December of last year," Nathan said, clearing his throat. "She wanted nothing to do with me though." "That's definitely not true," Lucas entered the conversation, laughing. "They were smitten from the start." Nathan shrugged, laughing quietly. "Okay, so maybe that was a lie. My best friend married her sister." "Awe, isn't that sweet Royal?" May asked, patting her husband on the shoulder. "The sweetest," Royal responded back to please her, nodding his head. "I lived in New York and she lived in North Carolina with a full time job so I flew down and stayed with her for a little while," Nathan told them, smiling slightly. "I decided to move to North Carolina and now we have a puppy." "To make a long story short," Lucas added, shrugging. "There's a lot more between that." "Yeah, I'm really, really happy," Nathan informed them, looking over at Haley and nodding his head. "She's really amazing." "She seems like it," May confirmed, smiling at him. "What's her job?" "She's an English teacher at the high school down there and she absolutely loves it. I mean the students can be difficult but she puts them in their place," He informed her, looking over at her. "And Lucas tells us that you coach basketball?" Andy added to the conversation. Nathan felt himself tense up, watching Lucas mentally shut Andy up. The subject of basketball was not one that his grandfather took lightly, and Lucas knew that. It's the whole reason Dan and Royal had a strained relationship, the whole reason Dan and Nathan had a strained relationship, and the whole reason Nathan and Royal's was strained as well. Not so much the sport, but the intense need to be the very best. Royal's eyes quickly moved to Nathan. "You playin' ball again?" Nathan nodded slowly, twiddling his thumbs, "A little, yeah," He said, shrugging. "We came to visit awhile ago and ran into Whitey at our old high school. He wouldn't let me leave until I made at least one free throw." "Good for you, son," Royal said, reaching behind May and clapping Nathan on the back. "Do you enjoy it?" "I actually really like it, yeah. I'll probably do it for another season or two. I'm going back to school this fall too, so we'll see how that all turns out," Nathan said, nodding his head. "Back to school! That's great, Nathan," May said, smiling brightly at him. "Haley has really whipped me into shape," Nathan confirmed, meeting his girlfriend's eyes once again. "Well I can't wait to learn more about her," May smiled, following his gaze. "She saves my life every single day, so I'm lucky to have her," He said, letting out a deep breath. He cleared his throat, before looking over at them. "What have you been up to?" "Traveling," Royal said, nodding his head. "We've been all over the place in the last year." "Really? Anywhere cool?" Nathan asked, raising his eyebrows. "Well, I've been wanting to go to see every single team in the league play in their home stadium. So we spend time working on that, and then we spend time traveling where ever your grandmother would like to go," Royal said, nodding his head. Nathan looked up when Haley came over, scooting Lucas down so that she could sit across from Nathan, smiling at her. "Have you been to Charlotte yet?" Haley entered the conversation, raising her eyebrows. "Well, I've been to tons of games in Charlotte, but not while I've been doing this," Royal said, shaking his head. "Let us know when you're going to one, Nathan's been promising to take me to one this coming season," Haley told him, smiling at him. "Are you a basketball fan?" Royal asked her, raising his eyebrows. "Not in the slightest," Haley laughed, shaking her head. "My friends in high school played it, but I still have no clue what's going on most of the time. Nathan just likes it." "I don't care about it at all," May admitted, rolling her eyes. "After all these years, you'd think that I would learn to love it." "Yeah well it a sensitive subject in our house," Royal said, a pained look flashing in his eyes but it was quickly covered up. "Haley, why don't you tell them about how excited you were to meet me," Lucas cut in, dropping his arm around Haley's shoulders. "Oh yes, when Nathan told me that his brother was Lucas Scott, I had a little bit of a fan girl moment," Haley laughed, smiling at him. "I've always really enjoyed Luke's writing." "And she introduced me to Brooke, the girl I've been telling you about," Lucas nodded, smiling brightly. "Her and Brooke are best friends." "Ah, yes, you mentioned that," May said, smiling once again as she watched Nathan's hand reach across the table and take Haley's. "Brooke is watching our dog right now actually," Haley said, smiling brightly. "She's such a great person." "I could go on and on forever about her," Lucas told them, grinning brightly. "In fact, if you don't mind, I'm going to head to North Carolina with Nate and Haley when they leave." "Oh no, you go right ahead. I'm sure we've kept you apart from we for long enough," May said, smiling brightly. "I'm so happy you two boys found great girls. And I'm so happy that Karen found you, Andy," She said, acknowledging Andy and smiling at him. "Don't go sappy on them, May," Royal said, clearing his throat and shaking his heads. "It's alright to be thankful for what we still have left, isn't it Royal?" May argued, shaking her head. Nathan tensed, staring at Haley and swallowing thickly. That was a look of panic. A look of 'we need to start a new conversation right now.' "Luke are you working on anything new right now?" Haley asked quickly, looking at him. "I'm trying but it's not working out all that well," Lucas laughed, rubbing his neck. "Well, if you ever need an editor before the editor then I would be so happy to help," Haley said, nudging him lightly and grinning at him. "Lucas and Haley get along really well. So well that sometimes I third wheel to them," Nathan informed them, chuckling. "I'll do backflips on a bicycle and Haley won't glance my way but Lucas puts a few words on a page and she's all over it." "That's not true," Haley scolded, laughing quietly. "I'm pretty sure Nathan is my love soulmate and Lucas is my friendship soul mate though." "Aw, Hales," Lucas said, touching his heart. "So cheesy," Nathan said, rolling his eyes. "Oh, I'm sure you do your fair share of cheesy stuff," May said, nodding at him. Nathan opened his mouth to argue when Karen came outside holding some of the food. "Lucas, Andy, would you two be so kind to go get the rest?" xxxx The day went by fairly smooth, no topics that were too tense to talk about, but of course, no one would bring up a word about it around Karen. Nathan was thankful that Haley had no problem taking the lead in conversations, but when she was out of the room, he was forced to talk a lot more than when she was with him. She really was like a comfort blanket to him. Karen had decided to run to the store and get a few things for dinner, and of course, she'd also made Lily, Lucas, and Andy go with her. Of course. So now it was just Nathan, Haley, Royal, and May at Lucas house, and they'd been able to stick to pretty neutral topics. Until Royal spoke up, of course. "Nathan," Royal began, causing his head to snap over quickly. "Yeah?" Nathan asked him, raising his eyebrows and clearing his throat, sitting up straighter. A different tension filled the room suddenly, and he knew what topic was coming. "I just want to apologize," Royal began, clearing his throat and looking at your grandson. "I was really hard on your father, which made him really hard on you, and very resentful to all the people around him." Nathan nodded slowly, feeling Haley's hand come to rest on his back. "I didn't let up much on you either, and I'm so sorry for that," Royal began again, letting out a deep breath. "I've been wanting to apologize to you for years, but I've never found the courage. I apologized to Lucas, and to Karen for being absent in their lives, and I've never had the opportunity to say anything to you." May nodded along with him, "I also want to apologize to you, Nathan. I know we've never had problems, but we weren't there for you when your mom passed away." Nathan swallowed thickly, wiping his palms on his jeans, shifting his gaze to the ground. "We know that you avoid us because it's hard, and maybe sometimes we're relieved when you don't pick up the phone, because it's difficult for us too," May said, smiling at him even though he wasn't looking at her. "It's painful to think about, and the pain hasn't gone away even a little bit." "We're sorry that any of this happened to you... When Keith died... It was easier just to run away. We didn't take the situation with Deb into consideration at all," May said quietly, letting out a deep breath. Nathan glanced up, meeting his grandmother's tearful gaze, before his eyes moved to Royal, and he was met with the same tears. He never in his life thought he would see his grandpa cry. He was always very out of touch with his emotions, and believed a man should never cry. "I'm sorry, Nathan," Royal said, offering him a nod. "You've really turned out amazing for the cards that you were dealt. You had so many things, but you missed out on what gives kids happiness growing up, a family that loves and supports him." Nathan couldn't believe that any of this was happening. Before he knew it he was on his feet, pulling his grandpa up to his and hugging him tightly. "I'm sorry too, grandpa," He said softly. "I should've answered the phone every once and awhile." "None of this is your fault, Nathan," Royal said, patting him on the back. "I don't know what's going on in your head, but nothing that's happened is your fault." Nathan nodded, clearing his throat and moving from his grandpa to his grandma, hugging her tightly. "I love you guys," He said quietly. "We love you, honey," May said, hugging him just as tight. Nathan smiled at them, stepping back and letting out a deep breath. He reached out and grabbed Haley's hand, pulling her up to her feet. "Do you mind if we go for a walk?" He asked them, raising his eyebrows. Royal and May both shook their heads, May gesturing towards the front door. Nathan kept a tight grip on Haley's hand, leading her out the door quickly. "Are you okay?" Haley asked him once they were outside, raising her eyebrows. Nathan didn't say anything, just pulled on her hand until they were a block away from the house and out of sight. He dropped her hand, letting out a deep breath, turning to look at her. "Hey," She said, grabbing his face, rubbing her thumb along his cheek, biting her lip when she saw tears in his eyes. "Sorry, I just, I didn't think they'd apologize," He said, clearing his throat, pulling her into a tight hug. "I don't know what I expected. I didn't think I would just feel so much... Love towards them. Love and forgiveness." Haley smiled at his works, raising her hand to his hair as he pressed his face into her neck, her other hand coming around to rub his back soothingly. "I'm okay," He assured her, gripping her waist tightly, pressing a light kiss to her neck. "I just... I needed a minute." "Hey, take your time," Haley said, kissing the side of his head. "I've never seen that side of my grandpa before. My grandma has always apologized, but holy shit, Hales..." He said, letting out a deep breath and standing up straight again, resting his hands on his sides. "You sure you're okay?" She asked him, smoothing her hands over his shoulders. "Yeah, I'm good, Hales. I'm really great," He said, stepping forward and resting his hands on her hips again. "I just needed a minute." "I get it," She said, smiling at him. "What's going through your head?" "I just... I didn't want to talk about any of it, and I still don't, of course. But I just didn't expect to hear an apology from him," He said, rubbing his neck. "You feel better?" She asked, raising her eyebrows. "Kind of, yeah. Is that weird?" He asked, shrugging his shoulders. "People change," She said, smiling at him. "I guess you're right," He said, kissing her forehead. "The sooner you get used to it, the better your life will be."

He laughed, winking at her. "I guess we should head back."

"Probably," Haley confirmed, nodding. "I mean we are here for them."

"Hales, one more thing..." He stopped her when she started walking.

"Hm?"

"What do you think I should buy with my ten bucks?"


	44. Chapter 44

**Okay, I really like this chapter!**

 **Chapter 44**

"Hales?" Nathan asked, walking into the house, frowning slightly at the silence that followed.

Haley must have left without telling him. She was supposed to be at home all day doing a girls day with Brooke.

He shook his head, walking to the fridge and dropping off the grocery bags that he'd decided to pick up on his way home, humming quietly. He looked over when Scout whined from inside his kennel, clawing at the door, a small smile forming on his face as he went over and let the puppy out. He let Scout jump all over him for a few minutes, before giving him a toy.

Once he'd finished up playing, he started to walk upstairs, rubbing his neck lightly.

"Haley?" He called out again, stepping into their bedroom and shaking his head. He let out a deep breath, poking his head into the master bathroom. He tapped his fingers on the door frame, when something that was sitting on the side of the bath tub caught his eye.

Oh good hell. That was a pregnancy test.

Nathan stared at it for a moment, willing his feet to move forward, and finally kneeling down next to it.

He swallowed thickly, staring down at the white and blue stick. "Two lines..." He spoke out loud, jumping to his feet and whipping around. "What the hell does two lines mean?"

Nathan quickly whipped open the cabinet they kept the trash can in, falling to his knees again when he saw two more in the trash can. He yanked it out, pulling up one of the boxes and letting out a deep breath. Holy shit. Two lines meant positive.

His whole world was spinning as he felt himself fall back against the wall, gingerly taking the other two tests out of the trash. One had two lines, the other had one line. Good hell. Two positives and a negative.

He squeezed his eyes shut tightly, about a million thoughts racing through his head.

He wasn't ready to be a father. He'd only just gotten Haley, he didn't want to share her yet. And despite what he'd told Peyton when they were in California, he didn't want a van of kids right now.

He felt his own breathing getting heavy and ragged, willing himself to calm down or else he was going to throw up.

He blinked his eyes open, staring down at the pregnancy tests, his eyes moving over to the other one on the side of the tub.

Nathan quickly put everything back the way it was, putting the trash can away. He washed his hands, before hurrying out of the bathroom, all but tearing his clothes off of him and changing into running clothes. That's what he needed to do. Go for a run and clear his head.

He headed down the stairs, quickly opting to leave Scout in the laundry room rather than in his kennel, mentally promising Haley that he'd clean up any mess he made, and just as he was about to open the door to leave, there was a knock.

Nathan pulled it open quickly and raised his eyebrows at the dude that was standing in front of him. It was nearing the end of July and the dude was wearing a red velvet blazer over a t-shirt. Who the hell does that?

"Haley around?" He asked, a smirk forming on his face.

"Who's asking?" Nathan responded, really not in the mood for the shitty look this guy was putting on.

"Chris Keller," He responded, crossing his arms. "Let me guess, you're the new guy."

"Of course you are. No, I'm the guy that cleans her house," Nathan bit back sarcastically, sighing softly.

"Lucky you," Chris said, walking past Nathan into the house confidently.

It actually shocked Nathan how confident he saw himself into their home. He could clearly throw Chris out and not break a sweat doing it. The guy was scrawny, and would probably pass out from a heat stroke any second.

"I'm guessing she's not here. Does she even live here or did you break up?" Chris questioned him, looking around the house.

"She's out," Nathan responded through gritted teeth, running his hand through his hair, glancing at the outdoors once again. He could really use that run, even more now.

He slammed the door shut, turning to Chris. "Do you want a drink?"

"A drink?"

"Yeah," Nathan said, clearing his throat. "Come on," He said, grabbing Chris by the arm, pulling him into the kitchen. He opened the cupboard above the fridge, pulling out a bottle of whiskey, turning to Chris and raising his eyebrows.

A confused look formed on Chris' face, before he nodded his head.

Nathan grabbed two glasses, pouring Chris and himself one, shoving the other at Chris before downing his glass.

The taste was definitely not something had he missed, that's for sure.

Chris looked at him very dumbfounded, before drinking his glass as well, raising his eyebrows.

Nathan was tempted to pour himself another, but instead he poured Chris more, and set his glass in the sink, putting the bottle away and letting out a deep breath.

Chris drank the remainder in his glass, before setting his in the sink as well. "Okay, I'll bite..."

"Please stop talking," Nathan said, squeezing his eyes shut and holding up his hand. "Just stop talking and let me think."

"Dude, you're weird," Chris laughed, shaking his head. "Everyone told me that Haley had downgraded, but..."

"Oh really? People have been telling you that? Yeah, I seriously doubt that," Nathan responded, rolling his eyes and laughing. "Dude, I could kick your pretty boy ass."

"Haley loves herself a good musician, trust me," Chris said, crossing his arms. "I'll bring out my guitar and she'll be putty in my hands."

Nathan laughed again, shaking his head. "You're funny," He said, leaning back against the counter. "If the whole music thing isn't working out, I think you could make it as a comedian."

"Thanks," Chris responded, shrugging his shoulders. "Where is she anyways?"

"She's out. Why does it matter to you?" Nathan asked, raising his eyebrows.

"She called me and told me to come over. Said something about how she was look for a good shag since she hasn't had once since we broke up," Chris replied, smirking slightly.

Nathan grabbed Chris by the jacket, before letting out a deep breath and releasing him. He didn't want to hit him. He just had a lot running through his mind right now and he needed to calm down. But this pompous punk definitely wasn't helping that cause.

"Dude, what gives?" Chris asked, wiping off his jacket and scowling.

"Sorry," Nathan apologized, rubbing his neck and sighing softly. "Look, what are you actually doing here?"

"I just came by to see how she's been," Chris said, shrugging. "Seems like she's doing alright. She bought a house."

"How did you even find her?"

"I know some people that she knows," Chris shrugged, looking at Nathan. "You seriously look like ass man. You should get another drink."

"Pass. Just sit down," Nathan said, gesturing to the table.

It wasn't too long before Nathan heard the front door open. He jumped up to his feet, muttering to Chris to stay put. He walked from the kitchen to the front door, his head still spinning slightly.

"Hey you," Haley greeted him, smiling slightly. "I didn't think you'd be back from hanging out with Luke until later."

"I wanted to see my girl," Nathan said, smiling at her. "What's all this?" He asked, gesturing to the bags in her arms.

"Oh, I went shopping with Brooke," She hummed, shrugging.

"Well let me take them from you," He urged, reaching for them but Haley quickly pulled them back.

"No, no... That's okay. I've got them," She said, winking at him.

He noticed her smile falter at her words, swallowing thickly. Shit, she was pregnant.

"Wouldn't want to ruin any of the surprises I bought for you," She hummed, nodding at him. "Kiss?"

Nathan leaned down and kissed her briefly, before pulling back and letting out a deep breath.

"I'll be right back," Haley said, nodding at him before heading upstairs. Nathan sighed, stepping into the kitchen and holding his finger to his lips to keep Chris quiet again. He heard her come back downstairs, then out the front door again, before she came back in.

Haley headed into the kitchen, stopping in her tracks when she saw the two men in there.

"Oh, hell, Chris... What are you doing here?" She groaned, crossing her arms.

"Just hanging with my boy... Uh..." Chris gestured to Nathan, shrugging.

"Nathan," Nathan responded, chuckling quietly.

"Nathan. My boy, Nate," Chris said, standing up and grinning at her.

"Your boy, Nate," Haley said slowly, turning to look at Nathan.

"I'd say that's a little bit of a stretch," Nathan informed her, shrugging.

"Haley, something tells me you aren't happy to see me," Chris feigned hurt, resting his hand on his chest.

"You know, it might be surprising to you, but I didn't really plan on you coming by today," She said, letting out a sigh. "Why are you here, by the way?"

"I was in town and just wanted to see you," Chris said, stepping in front of her and smiling.

Nathan stood up straighter, scowling slightly. "Come on, man."

She let out a deep breath, looking at Chris and shaking her head. "It's not like that, Chris. I know better than to think that you're just here to chat."

"Honestly, Haley, I'm just here to say hi. Wanted to meet my new best friend Nate," Chris said, clapping Nathan on the shoulder. "We've been hanging out all afternoon."

"All afternoon?" She questioned, raising her eyebrows.

"For like fifteen minutes," Nathan said, shaking his head.

"Had a few drinks, got nice and acquainted in those fifteen minutes," Chris said, nodding quickly.

"A few drinks..." Haley trailed off, letting out a sigh. "Now that you two are best buds, why don't you keep hanging out?"

"Wait, Haley!"

Both Nathan and Chris said at the same time, before looking at each other.

"You go," Chris said, shrugging.

"I will. I'm her boyfriend," Nathan said, sending Chris a pointed look, before grabbing Haley's arm. "Hales, don't go."

"We need to talk. You don't touch anything," Haley said, pointing at Chris, before pulling Nathan into the guest bedroom.

"Haley, I had one drink, it wasn't a big deal," Nathan sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Why didn't you tell me he was here?" She asked him, scowling slightly.

"I don't know, you were only home for a second before you saw him," He said, shrugging.

"Get him out of here, please," She said, shaking her head. "This is not what I need right now."

"Wait, let me get this straight? You think I should have told you about this?" He said slowly, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Yeah, probably! You could've told me right when I walked in, uh, Hales, your ex boyfriend is here!"

"Because this is something that could potentially be a bit of a stressful situation for both of us, right?" Nathan raised his eyebrows, looking down at her.

"What's going on with you? You're acting so strange, and you're drinking..." Haley trailed off, shaking her head. "Are you feeling okay? You're like... Really sweaty all of the sudden..." She asked, touching his cheek.

"Yeah, I'm fine," He said, grabbing her wrist and pulling her hand from his face. "Let's just go back out and hang out with Chris."

"You want to keep hanging out with him?" She asked, frowning. "When your ex girlfriend showed up, I wanted to kill her, not invite her in for some drinks."

"Haley, I am not threatened by this dude at all. Unless... Should I be?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows.

"No," She said quickly, resting her hand on his chest. "I just don't want him here. I have something I need to talk to you about."

Nathan felt his heart start beating quickly. He felt so sick all of the sudden.

"Nathan?"

Her voice was so distant. He felt like he was either going to throw up or pass out, one of the two.

"You're really pale, Nathan. What's going on? Your heart is beating so quickly," She said, her voice laced with concern.

"Let's just humor him for awhile and if he gets too annoying we'll kick him out," Nathan said quickly, nodding his head.

He wasn't ready for the talk yet, that's for sure. He needed to keep his mind busy for just a little longer and then he would figure out his to talk with her.

Haley watched, dumbfounded as Nathan ran out of the room like she had a contagious disease.

Nathan found that Chris was no longer at the table, but sitting in their garage where Haley's piano still sat, tapping away at the keys.

"This is a sweet piano, dude. Aren't you a basketball coach?" Chris asked him, raising his eyebrows.

"Oh right, because a musician is a much more stable career," Nathan grumbled, sitting down on the step, watching Chris.

"Your girlfriend used to think it was the best career. Supported me every night. She support you every night?" Chris asked, raising his eyebrow suggestively.

"We support each other," Nathan responded, smirking slightly. "She doesn't need to only support me because I'm not a jackass."

"A jackass? Now, Nate, you hardly know me. I'm offended. I think we could be best friends," Chris laughed, nodding at him.

"I don't know about that," Nathan chuckled, letting out a frustrated sigh and leaning back against the door. "Even if you hadn't dated Haley, we wouldn't be friends."

"Agree to disagree," Chris said, looking at the piano again.

Haley opened the door, nearly causing Nathan to fall backwards. She rubbed the back of his head, taking a seat next to him and rubbing his knee. "Sorry, honey," She whispered, letting out a deep breath.

"It's fine," He said, shaking his head at her, resting his hand on top of hers.

"Hales, why don't you come sit by me?" Chris suggested, looking over at her. "We could sing one of your favorite songs."

"I think I'm alright just sitting here," Haley informed him, shrugging.

"We used to sit at the piano and sing all the time, Nathan," Chris said, smirking slightly. "Boy did she love supporting me on the piano. I had one in my place that wasn't too much worse than this one. We'd sit there and play all night long."

Nathan rolled his eyes, shaking his head and sighing softly.

"That's funny, because I remember going to bed and you sitting alone most nights," Haley said, tapping her finger on Nathan's leg.

"Don't be like that," Chris laughed, smiling at her. "We had a lot of fun, Hales."

"I could respond with how much fun we didn't have, but I already said everything I needed to say when we broke up, so I'm done," Haley argued, feeling anger and annoyance rise in her. "Now I'm going to ask you again; What are you doing here? Besides trying to annoy me and my new boyfriend?"

"I'm going on tour. Like a real tour," Chris said, removing his hands from the piano, scooting to the end of the bench and adjusting himself so that he was facing her.

A genuine smile formed on Haley's face at his words, nodding her head. "That's amazing, Chris. Congratulations."

"I just wanted to let you know, and to thank you. Not from the place in my heart that wants you back, believe me, that's there, but from the place that's grateful you were there for a lot of it," Chris said, standing up slowly. "And I wanted to let you know you're looking fine."

"There it is," Haley grumbled, standing up slowly and letting out a deep breath. "Congratulations, Chris," She said, hugging him back briefly when he leaned down to give her a hug.

Nathan cleared his throat when Chris never let go of her, scowling slightly. "Let go," He finally snapped, rubbing the back of his neck.

Still, Chris hugged her for a few more seconds before releasing her.

"Oh, and I want you to come with me and keep being my number one fan on tour," Chris said, winking at her. "I'm already great, but I'm so much better when you're there."

"No," Haley said immediately, looking over at Nathan. "I told you I was done, Chris, and I meant it. I'm really happy for you, but this all could have been done over the phone."

"You blocked my phone number!" Chris said, frowning. "Whatever, let me know when Jock McStuffins gets to be too much for you. I'll be waiting. You might have to pull me out of the arms of another woman, but I'll be there."

Haley almost laughed at his insult to Nathan. Jock McStuffins. Not bad. But she decided now would not be the right time.

"What's Brooke Davis up to?"

"Don't bother Brooke," Haley groaned, shaking her head quickly. "I have an idea, Chris," She said, stepping back inside. She came out a minute later, holding some money out to Chris. "Why don't you take these ones, and go to a strip club? This is my gift to you for finally achieving your dreams."

Chris took it quickly, smirking at her. "Still helping support me after all these years," He said, winking at Nathan. "Nate gets it."

Nathan sighed, resting his hand on Chris' shoulder, pushing him towards the garage door, pushing the button to open it up. "When you have a show near here, don't let us know," He grumbled.

"Okay, I will. Backstage passes," Chris said, grinning at Nathan. "Bye Hales, bye Nate," He said, walking down the street to a car that was parked a few house down, getting in, and he was gone.

Nathan let out a deep breath, closing his eyes and forcing himself to relax. Haley was already so suspicious of his every movement. He needed to calm down.

"I think I'm going to go for a run," Nathan finally said, turning to her.

"Oh, okay," Haley replied, nodding at him. "Have fun."

"I will," He mumbled, taking off out of the garage in a sprint. He needed to clear his mind desperately.

xxxx

Nathan stepped into the house a little while later, breathing heavily and feeling quite a bit better, actually. He walked into the kitchen, grabbing a glass and getting a big drink of water, looking over where Haley's phone was rested on the countertop.

He glanced around, quickly going over to it and unlocking it. He opened up her search engine, his heart stopping when her current search was for newborn baby clothing.

He was going to be a dad. Haley was just about the worst at covering up the evidence though.

He quickly set the phone down when he heard her coming down the stairs, moving to sit at the bar in the counter top, taking another long drink.

"Hey," Haley hummed, tucking her hair behind her ear as she walked into the kitchen. "There's something I need to talk to you about."

"Dinner." Nathan said quickly, looking at her with raised eyebrows. "I'm going to go pick up dinner?"

"What? Nathan, we have food here-"

"I just, I want something different!" He said quickly, feeling his heart rate speed up as he started to walk out of the kitchen.

Haley stepped in front of him, putting her hands on his chest. "What is up with you? Ever since I got home you've been acting so weird."

"I'm not acting weird, Haley! You're acting weird."

Nice argument, Nathan... He needed to think about all this so he could give Haley the response she was looking for when she finally told him, but he was freaking out.

"Whatever, Nathan, just go," She grumbled, pushing on his chest lightly, crossing her arms defensively and stepping out of his way.

Now he felt a little bad. He'd upset her... But if he didn't leave right now he was definitely going to say the wrong thing.

He grabbed his car keys off the hook, leaning down to kiss her, which she turned her head from, so his lips connected with her cheek.

"I'm not going to kiss you when you're being an ass," She grumbled. "Don't bring me home anything. I'm eating here."

"Okay," He mumbled, rubbing the back of his head and letting out a deep breath, before hurrying out the front door.

Haley let out a deep breath when he left, shaking her head. He was being such a jerk for some reason. Surely it couldn't be because Chris had showed up? There's no way that was her fault.

She ran her fingers through her hair, pulling open the fridge. He'd even just bought some groceries. What the hell was the bull about wanting to go out to eat?

Normally, she'd think it was a sweat gesture for him to stop at the store on his way home, or for him to even notice they needed groceries at all. But nope. Not today. She was angry.

Maybe Chris had said something to him before she'd gotten home that had really made him uncomfortable. Maybe he'd had a shitty day with Lucas. But he didn't have to be so rude and distant to her. It's like every time she touched him, he flinched away like her hand was on fire.

And the drinking? What the hell was up with that? That was so out of the ordinary for Nathan. Maybe a glass of wine with dinner occasionally, or a beer, but he never sought it out in the middle of the day. Never.

So what if it was one glass? It was still weird. She wasn't going to psych herself out of this. She knew him, and he was off. What the hell could have him so spooked?

He came back into the house about forty minutes later, and as soon as she heard the front door close, she put her game face on.

She kept her eyes focused on the book she was reading, stabbing at the spaghetti she was eating passive aggressively.

Haley heard him walk into the kitchen and she felt him starring at her, but she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of looking up.

"I'm going to go shower," He announced, tossing the to go box in the fridge, before hurrying out of the room and up the stairs.

She sighed, rolling her eyes and standing up slowly. She walked to the fridge, yanking it open and taking out the white box. She opened it up and frowned slightly.

Of course he got Mac and cheese. Because even when he was being an ass, he was still thinking of her.

Maybe he wasn't feeling well and didn't want her to feel like she needed to take care of him.

That would explain the paleness and the constant sweat he'd had pretty much since she got home.

Haley sighed softly, going back to her seat. Now she didn't want her spaghetti, all she wanted was the Mac and cheese. Dammit. But she couldn't let him win the battle.

So she started eating again, keeping her eyes trained on her book, pretty much reading the same page over and over because she was too frustrated to focus.

When he came back downstairs, she let her eyes glance up at him quickly, before forcing herself to look back at the plate.

He went into the living room, and she heard the damn noise of his playstation starting up. And if she wasn't annoyed before, she definitely was now.

How could he be doing this when the silence was literally eating her away? She HATED when he hid stuff from her. Hated it. He rarely did it, but something was seriously wrong with him. He just looked so sick but he had been perfectly fine this morning.

He'd tell her eventually. He always did.

She just had to make herself constant present. She stood up and walked to the back door, letting Scout in after she'd let him outside to play in the grass while Nathan was on his run.

He definitely couldn't say no to Scout.

She cleaned up her plate as she held Scout in one arm, picking up her book and walking into the living room, taking her own sweet time as she crossed in front of the TV, sitting on the other couch in the room.

Nathan glanced over at her, swallowing thickly as she rubbed between Scout's ears. Holy shit. This was going to be their life in nine months. A real baby.

All of those times he joked about Scout being their son were coming back to him.

He could hardly focus on the game he was playing. His run really had not cleared his mind at all. Going out to get food at not cleared his mind at all. He still had no idea how he was going to respond to Haley when she finally told him.

Haley shook her head when Scout stopped being cuddly, laughing when he tried to nip at her hair. "Okay, buddy, let's get you a toy," She hummed, setting him on the ground and walking over to the toy chest they had for him, picking up a rope, beginning to play tug of war with him.

Nathan stared at them, feeling his stomach twist into knots.

It was Chase's voice that pulled him out, coming through the TV.

"Nathan, are you going to play or what? I had to go find my headset to say this, but you legit haven't moved in a minute," Chase grumbled through the screen.

Nathan sighed softly, moving his focus to the game instead of Haley. Maybe killing more zombies than Chase would help him feel a little better.

Haley sighed, tugging on the rope and looking at Scout again. "Uncle Chase takes video games way to seriously."

"He is not Uncle Chase," Nathan grumbled, keeping his eyes focused on the screen. "Scout is a dog. Chase isn't his uncle."

"What the hell is your problem with me today, Nathan? If you're really that pissed off, then you can go! I'm sure Lucas can sneak you into Brooke's guest room!" Haley snapped at him, standing up and scowling.

Nathan tossed the controller to the side, standing up and meeting her, staring down at her and searching her eyes. "What's my problem? You really want to know?"

"Oh please, won't you tell me," She said, letting out an exhausted sigh. "I haven't done anything to you."

"When were you planning on telling me that you're pregnant?" Nathan asked her, sending her a challenging gaze.

Haley took a step back, raising her eyebrows in surprise. Well that was unexpected.

"Yeah, Haley, I saw the tests. Why the hell didn't you tell me?" He asked her, frowning at her.

The tests? Haley wanted to slap her hand on her forehead. Of course. The tests.

"Nathan, I'm not pregnant," Haley said, shaking her head quickly.

"Yeah, I saw them, I just put everything back, I don't know why you wouldn't tell me- Wait, what did you say?" He asked her quickly, raising his eyebrows.

"I'm not pregnant," She said, letting out a sigh of relief. Now it made sense why he was so stressed out a nervous. It had nothing to do with Chris, though that most likely didn't add to it.

"But, I saw them... They were positive, well two were positive... I dug through the trash for those!" He groaned, looking at her with a confused look. "What do you mean you're not pregnant? Did you think you were?"

"No," Haley said, shaking her head and glancing down at Scout as he shoved the rope at her legs. She took it from his mouth, tossing it across the room.

"You didn't?" He asked, letting out a sigh of relief. "Why were there tests?"

"Nate, this is the second time I've plugged in my mic, I can't keep reviving you forever," Chase's voice came from the screen again.

Haley laughed, covering her mouth and looking at Nathan. "Can you get rid of him?"

"Yeah," Nathan said, turning off the playstation, sending Chase a quick text that he had to go. "So what's going on, Haley? I'm really confused..."

Haley hesitated for a moment, letting out a deep breath. "They were Brooke's tests," She informed him, shrugging her shoulders.

"Brooke's?" Nathan said slowly, clearing his throat. "Is Brooke pregnant?"

"No," She answered, shaking her head. "She called me a few days ago just freaking out and I made up the idea of a girls day with her, and you hang out with Lucas. But when two of the tests were positive, it didn't make her feel any better, so we went to the doctor and they were false positives."

"But... I went through your phone and you had searched up newborn clothes..." He trailed off, sending her a guilty look.

Haley raised her eyebrow, shaking her head. "That was the only way I could calm her down, showing her how cute baby clothes are. I'm guessing that won't have the same impact on you."

Nathan scratched the back of his head, looking down at Haley. "You're not pregnant?"

"No," She said, taking his hands and sitting down on the couch, letting out a deep breath. "Nathan..."

"Let me explain myself before you start asking questions," He said quickly. "I've been an ass, but you have to understand that I was completely blindsided by this, Hales..."

"I do, Nathan, I do. Honestly it makes a lot more sense," She said, squeezing his hand. "I would not have been so calm and confused if it had been me. Trust me."

Nathan let out a deep breath, looking at her. "I was just so shocked, Hales. I mean, for you to have to think you were pregnant, you probably would have been suspicious of it for a few days. And that means you didn't tell me for a few days, and I had to figure it out for myself."

She scooted closer to him, raising his hands to her lips and smiling. "Nathan, I would tell you, alright?"

"Okay," He said, feeling a huge weight leave his shoulders as he laid back against the couch. "I'm sorry for being such a jerk."

"Yeah, you better be," She grumbled, looking up at him. "I'm sorry for telling you to go."

"It's okay, I was just being an ass to you. I should've just... I don't know, talked to you," He said, laughing quietly.

"That may have worked," She said, kissing his hand again. "But I understand why you were freaking out."

"Yeah," He said, rubbing his neck.

"I mean, this isn't a conversation I thought we'd be having today, but believe me when I say that I'm not ready for kids," She said, looking up at him.

"I didn't think that you were," He said, shrugging his shoulders.

"But I'd like to think that if something were to happen, I could count on you..." She trailed off, biting her lip and looking at him.

"You can!" He said quickly, clearing his throat. "I just... I might freak out a little, Hales, but part of the reason I was avoiding you is because I wanted to say the right thing. But you can count on me."

"Okay," She said, letting go of his hand and wrapping her arms around him, hugging him tightly.

Nathan hugged her back, pressing a kiss to the side of her head. "I just want you to tell me before I have to find out myself. Because I was like damn, Haley did an absolute horrible job at hiding this."

She laughed, shaking her head. "Brooke was hysterical, and I thought you'd be home later," She informed him, shrugging her shoulders. "I just took her to the doctor, and then shopping so she could breath again."

"You're a good friend," Nathan said softly, squeezing her shoulder, pulling back from the hug and leaning against the couch again. "Is she going to tell Luke?"

"I told her she should, but she was unsure on weather or not she actually would," She said, nodding.

"He'd probably be so calm," Nathan said, sighing softly. "I was terrified."

"I doubt he'd actually be as calm as you're thinking. Brooke was freaking out. Like sobbing in my arms freaking out," She informed him, smiling at him.

"I just got you, Hales. I wasn't ready to share you with a kid yet. I mean, um, I'd do it, but there might be a little bit of huffing and puffing at first," He informed her, looking down when Scout shoved the toy at his legs, tugging on it a bit.

Haley nodded, looking down at the blue eyed puppy. "Well I'm not planning on getting pregnant, so don't worry too much."

"Let's just not have sex anymore," He groaned, squeezing his eyes shut and throwing the toy across the room.

She laughed, kinking one eyebrow at him. "Really?" She asked, dropping her arm around his shoulders, tucking her legs underneath herself.

"Yep," He said, sighing softly.

"Okay," She responded, lightly tracing her fingers over his shoulder blade. "If that's what you really want."

"It is," He grumbled, keeping his eyes shut.

"You'll have to remind me though," She informed him, shrugging her shoulders. "Like when I'm doing this..." She leaned forward, beginning to nibble on his ear lobe lightly, continuing to brush her fingers over his shoulder.

"When I feel like it's going too far, I'll tell you," He joked, blinking his eyes open.

"Mhm," She responded, keeping one arm around his shoulders, raising the other hand to cup his cheek, pulling his head closer to her.

"Hales," He groaned after a moment, letting out a deep breath.

"Hm?" She questioned, peppering kisses behind his ear, scooting closer to him. She sucked on the sensitive skin behind his ear lightly, tracing her tongue over it.

"Okay, forget I said anything," He laughed, resting his hand on her leg.

"That's what I thought," She laughed, nudging her nose against his cheek and pulling back, slowly rubbing her hand over his back.

"Now I need to calm down for an entirely different reason," He said, leaning forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Your ex boyfriend is a weirdo."

"Any sexual tension that was in the room is now completely gone," She said, sighing softly.

"Sorry. But he's weird."

"Trust me, I know. Why do you think he's my ex boyfriend now?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"He just... I don't know, I only kept him around because you said you needed to talk to me about something and I was scared. But even that didn't last because of how annoying he is... Wait a minute, what did you need to talk to me about?" He asked her, looking at her quickly.

"Oh, right!" She said, removing her arm from around him, leaning back against the couch. "Remember how I mentioned to you briefly awhile back that my family goes camping every year? And my parents just kind of take who can come?"

"Yeah..." He trailed off, nodding slowly at her.

"Well this year, every single one of my siblings has agreed to go, well, except for me. I haven't yet," She said, resting her hand on his arm.

"Well, why not?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"I just wanted to check with you, because I want you to come too if I'm going. I was also waiting to see how your back was holding up with all of the basketball you've been playing before I agreed or disagreed. It would only be for three nights," She informed him, letting out a deep breath. "But if you don't want to come, I'll tell them no. It would be all of my siblings, their spouses, and their kids, and that can be hectic."

"No, Hales, don't tell them that," He said, resting his hand on her leg. "We should go."

"Really?" She questioned him, looking up at him. "Don't feel pressured."

"No, baby, I want to go. They're your family. As long as we don't get separated or have to share a tent with anyone else though," He said, nodding at her. "Not that your parents would separate us, you literally came downstairs complaining that I didn't hop in the shower with you while they were here."

Haley smacked his arm, smiling at his laughter. "You, shush," She said, tossing her legs over his lap, glancing over at the playful growling across the room as Scout pounced on his toy.

Nathan slowly ran his hand up her shin, smiling down at her. "I just don't want to sleep without you. Let's see if we can find a huge sleeping bag."

"Are you sure, Nathan? Your back..."

"Will be fine, Haley. If not, we have our own tent so you can give it an amazing massage," He said, winking at her. "Plus, we could sneak off and do it in the woods."

"Not as great as it sounds," Haley said, shaking her head.

Nathan scowled at her, frowning. "Hales! Your sex life before me is a forbidden topic."

"Sorry," She laughed, kissing his cheek. "I thought we were never having sex again."

"I took that back, remember?" He said, nodding at her.

"Right, right..." She laughed, nudging her nose against his cheek. "I'm going to veto sneaking off into the woods. Maybe we could sneak off to the car or something. Or maybe we can handle a few days without it."

"I can handle a few days just naturally, but now that you've said that we're going to have to handle a few days, it's going to be the only thing I'll be able to think about," He mumbled, shrugging his shoulders.

"Just don't think about it too much," She said, winking about him. "Can't exactly hide it when you're thinking too hard."

"Oh yeah, I'd say that's a good word..." He grumbled, laughing quietly.

"Nathan!" She laughed, kissing his cheek.

"Okay, Hales, let's just go upstairs and get this over with, right now," He said, pushing her legs off his lap, standing up and grabbing her hand. He pulled her to her feet, kissing her deeply.

"Mm... Let's just go to the guest bedroom," She said, tilting her head back as his lips attacked her neck. "Upstairs is way too far."

"Good point," He said, lifting her up off the ground, feeling her legs wrap around his waist, carrying her quickly into the guest bedroom.

xxxx

Haley heard Nathan coming down the hall from the kitchen, getting out her phone and going to her calendar quickly, pretending like she was counting the days.

"What are you doing?" Nathan asked as he stepped into the room with a plate of food in his hand, raising his eyebrows and climbing into bed next to her.

"I really just want to be pregnant so I'm seeing if I'm ovulating," She informed him casually.

"You're so funny," He said flatly, before laughing and kissing her head. "Now I'm not going to share my food with you."

Haley looked over at the plate of Mac and cheese in his lap, before looking up at his face. "Why did you get that after I told you not to bring me anything?" She asked, reaching over and taking the fork from him anyways.

"Because, I don't know when pregnancy cravings start, or really anything about it, but I figured that this would be one of the things you were craving..." He said sheepishly, shrugging his shoulders.

Haley blinked in surprise, smiling at him and leaning over and kissing him. "You're so sweet."

"I know," He laughed, rubbing his neck. "I'm sorry for being so scared, and I can't promise I won't be scared if a scare ever happens again. Or when we plan it."

"When we plan it?" She asked him, trailing her fingers up his arm. "You think about things like that?"

"Sometimes, yeah," He informed her, smiling slightly. "You don't?"

"Sometimes," She responded, kissing his cheek, nuzzling her nose against his skin. "I don't know what's going to happen, Nathan, but I know that if you're by my side, I'll be alright."

He smiled, interlocking their fingers and holding the plate out to her. "Oh fine, you can have some."


	45. Chapter 45

Chapter 45

Haley smiled softly as she watched Nathan play with her young nieces and nephews. They had all taken a quick liking to him since Vivian's kids had spoken so highly of him. He was currently tossing each of them up in the air a little bit and catching them, before moving on to the next child.

"Wipe that look off your face, Hales," Her older sister Taylor said, taking a seat in the camp chair next to her.

"I don't have a look," Haley responded, shaking her head and looking over at her.

"You have the 'it feels like I'm looking into the future look' and don't try to deny it," Taylor said, smiling at her.

"Me? Never. I live in the moment," Haley said sarcastically.

"You seem happy," Taylor said, sending her a nod. "Are you?"

"Very," Haley said back, letting out a deep breath.

"I've only met him once before, but I can tell that he's different," Taylor commented, glancing over at Haley's boyfriend. "Even more importantly, I can tell that he's changed you."

Haley raised her eyebrows curiously, looking over. "How do you think I'm different?"

"To start, you're super relaxed right now, and you're usually stressed out when we're all around," Taylor laughed, shrugging her shoulders. "Viv and I were talking about it, and when you introduced Chris to the family, you were watching him like a hawk, and would hardly let anyone talk to him, and you would never let him wander off with our brothers, or play with all the kids."

"Well that was mostly because Chris was Chris," Haley laughed, crossing her legs. "I knew his personality and I knew he wouldn't mesh very well."

"Just from what I've observed, with Chris, you were easily irritated, stressed out, mostly about him, and unhappy. With Nathan, you're laughing, smiling, letting him 'teach' you how to put up a tent even though he knows that you already know how to do it, we've been here for what? Five hours? And I've already seen him bring you some flowers that he found. Cheesy, maybe, but still, Haley..." Taylor trailed off, looking over at her sister.

"Instead of putting more weight on my shoulders, he lifts some off," Haley commented, smiling over at Nathan, waving when he made eye contact with her.

Nathan pointed the kids over to Clay's direction as he and Quinn returned from a walk. He jogged over to Haley, leaning down and kissing her briefly.

"Hey you," He hummed out, smiling at her.

"Hey handsome," Taylor commented, winking at him.

"Taylor," Nathan responded, taking a seat on the ground in front of Haley.

"I'd almost consider having a kid with you, Nathan. Sight for sore eyes," Taylor told him, shrugging her shoulders.

"Awesome," Haley said, sending Taylor a warning glare, resting her hand on Nathan's shoulder, leaning forward slightly.

"Not sure you could handle all of this, Taylor, sorry," He responded, resting his head back against Haley's knee.

"Trust me, sweet thing-"

"Okay, I'm done with this conversation," Haley cut them off, pinching Nathan's shoulder.

"Don't worry, Hales, I'm out of his league," Taylor teased, smiling at her.

"I think all of the James girls are probably out of my league," Nathan said, shrugging his shoulders. "Lydia included."

Haley pinched his shoulder again, "Nathan, stop it," She groaned.

"What? She kept it going-"

"She's Taylor."

"Yeah, Nate, I'm Taylor," Taylor laughed, leaning back in her chair, nodding to where their three brothers were huddled. "What's going on over there?"

"Who cares?" Haley sighed, tucking the tag that was sticking out of the back of Nathan's t-shirt back in.

"I bet they're planning another joke on Nathan since Haley messed up their 'let's try to convince Nathan to cut down a tree' prank," Taylor hummed, shaking her head.

"I'm not going to say anything else about it," Haley said, rubbing her neck and sighing, rolling her eyes.

Nathan chuckled quietly, tipping his head back further to meet Haley's eyes, smiling up at her.

"Oh brother," Taylor grumbled, rolling her eyes. "Are you guys going to PDA the hell out of this trip?"

"We haven't done anything," Haley defended, looking over at her.

"Yet," Taylor reminded her, reaching over and patting her shoulder. "Just keep it PG, kids."

"Shush," Haley sighed, tugging on Nathan's ear lightly.

In what seemed like a split second, the three James brothers had run over to the three of them, and picked Nathan up.

Before Haley could even move they had run onto the dock by the nearby lake, tossing Nathan off of it into the water.

Haley let out a deep breath, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"I called it," Taylor hummed, waving her hand in their direction.

"You did," Haley grumbled, standing up slowly, looking in Quinn's direction. She shook her head disapprovingly at both Clay and Quinn's laughter.

She walked over slowly, letting out a sigh as her brothers pulled Nathan out of the water. She didn't love not having control of this whole situation. Nathan had told her to just let it happen.

"That was hilarious," Her oldest brother, Brandon, said, slapping Nathan on the shoulder. He laughed again, until he spotted two of his children trying to carry a third down the dock so they could do the same. "Hey, wait!" He yelled, rushing away.

Once Haley reached them, Nathan offered her a smile, winking at her.

"I was getting a little warm, so I guess I should be thanking you guys," Nathan said, looking over at them.

"Well then you're welcome," Andrew laughed, ruffling Nathan's hair.

"Hey Hales..." Nathan hummed to her, raising his eyebrows.

"Nathan... Don't..." She told him, sending him a warning glare.

He took a step over to her, grabbing her hand when she stepped back.

"I've had enough experience being tossed in the water to know when I'm about to be tossed into the water," She groaned, looking over at her brothers. "Can you push him in again?"

"Oh so now you'd like us to play jokes on him?" Jason replied, raising his eyebrows.

"Now wait a minute," Andrew trailed off, glancing at their hands. "Yeah, let's get him."

Jason looked at Andrew, before giving Nathan a shove into the water.

Nathan kept a tight grip on Haley's hand, pulling her in after him.

"Thank you," Nathan laughed once he resurfaced, looking over at Haley when she splashed some water at him.

"We're going to leave you to deal with the her. Good luck," Jason said, rushing down the dock.

"You're a jerk," Haley groaned, splashing more water at Nathan.

"Babe," Nathan laughed, grabbing her and pulling her over to him.

"No," She responded, shaking her head and sighing softly. "You're lucky I accounted for this kind of shit antics and I overpacked."

"Well I didn't," He laughed, kissing her head. "At least it's a hot day, right?"

"Yeah," She responded, resting her hands on his shoulders.

"Relax, Hales, I'm serious," He mumbled, climbing onto the dock quickly, reaching down and pulling her out. "It's just harmless fun."

"I know, I know. But-"

"Haley," He said, shaking her head. "You're getting stressed out. You seemed more relaxed talking to Taylor."

"I'm not stressed out," She said, looking out at the water. "Let's just go change, okay?"

He sighed, following after her to where the tent was, pausing in front of it and glancing around. "Um, you go ahead," He said, unzipping it for her.

"Now who is stressed?" She asked him, shaking her head. "Don't worry about it, Nathan. Just come on. We live together."

"Yeah, but-"

She shook her head, crawling into the tent. "We should go change in the RV so we don't get water all over the tent..." She grumbled, looking over her shoulder at him, gesturing for him to follow her in. "Don't be shy, Nathan. It's not like we're going to go at it when all my siblings and their kids are around."

"I'm not usually shy about things like this, when I was in high school, Peyton and I would-" He stopped himself, clearing his throat and climbing in after her. "I don't remember what I was saying, never mind."

"Smart," She laughed, shaking her head. "You really thought it was a good idea to throw me into the water, huh?"

"I didn't do anything," He informed her, shaking his head. "I'm serious about chilling out, Hales," He said, looking at her. "They're your family. Relax."

"Telling someone to relax usually doesn't help them relax," She grumbled, meeting his eyes.

"Haley," He said, raising his eyebrows and laughing. "Is it possible you're more stressed out about your family than I am about mine?"

"No," She said, letting out a deep breath. "I just- I'm an adult, Nathan! I'm tired of being the joke. And when it's not me, it's you now. And they're using you to get to me."

Nathan stepped closer to her, resting his hands on her shoulders, kissing her forehead. "You know, I was going to throw you into the water..."

"It doesn't bother me when you do it though, Nathan," She said simply, shrugging. "I don't know why, but it doesn't."

"If you'd stop being so concerned about me, they'd stop teasing you," He told her, squeezing her shoulders. "You do remember what we talked about earlier, right? If you want them to like me, you have to let it happen, okay? They aren't going to think I'm fun if you swoop in and tell them off every time."

"I don't like when you're logical. I'd rather be the one handing out advice," She grumbled, kissing him lightly. "Get dressed, okay?"

He laughed, running a hand through his hair and doing as he was told before turning to look at her. "Hey?" He said, reaching out and grabbing her hand. "Maybe I'm laying it on a little thick but I just want you to relax, babe. You never relax."

"They just don't get it, Nathan-"

"I'm not as fragile as you think I am, Haley," He whispered, almost as if someone was listening to them. He stepped over to her, resting his hands on her arms. "You worry too much."

She rested her palms against his chest, sighing softly. "You're right. This is a vacation."

"Now let's get out of this tent, yeah? Hang our clothes, then go play with the kids," He suggested, nodding at her.

"Okay," She said, kissing him briefly, sliding her hands down his torso, grabbing onto his hands and tugging him out of the tent.

"You two were in there for quite a while," Vivian hummed, looking up and winking at Haley.

"You know us," Haley commented, reaching forward and quickly taking the three month old baby from her arms, smiling down at her.

"Hear that, Jared? She admitted to it," Vivian said, smacking her husband on the arm, causing him to glance up from the book he'd been reading.

"Nice work, honey, you called it," Jared responded, offering her a nod, before looking back down.

Nathan chuckled quietly. From the time he spend with Vivian and her husband, he could tell this is how a lot of their conversations went. Very one sided.

"Hey," He said, looking down at Haley once she sat down. "I'm going to go over and check out what Clay and Quinn are doing."

"Okay," She hummed, smiling up at him.

He leaned down, kissing her briefly, before jogging away.

xxxx

Haley laughed at the story Andrew was telling about his youngest child, resting her head on Quinn's shoulder for a minute.

It was just her, Quinn, both her parents, Andrew, and Brandon sitting outside around the fire. Everyone else had slowly gone to bed over the past few hours, the last of them including Nathan, who she'd never seen as tired as he was. Wrestling with kids all day had taken it's toll on him.

"We'll definitely take as many grand kids as you all will give us, especially if you keep giving us stories like this," Jimmy said, wrapping his arm around Lydia's shoulders.

"Yeah, well don't expect anymore from us," Brandon said, holding up his hands defensively.

"Yes, because every single one of you kids were planned," Lydia laughed, shrugging her shoulders and smiling at her oldest son.

"I think Clay and I are going to wait a bit longer. We both travel a lot," Quinn spoke up, clearing her throat.

"We aren't pressuring you at all," Lydia said, shaking her head. "We just said we'll take as many as we can get."

"I think spending time with all the kids being hyped up on s'mores is probably the best birth control you can possibly find," Jimmy joked, smiling at them.

"New topic," Andrew laughed, leaning back in his lawn chair, yawning.

"Is Nathan excited to go back to school?" Lydia changed the subject at the request of her youngest son, looking over at Haley.

"I don't think he's given it any thought whatsoever. I'm move stressed than he is," Haley informed her, rolling her eyes.

"He'll do great, I'm sure. You're his tutor after all," Quinn assured her, smiling.

"I gotta tell you, Hales, we really like him," Brandon informed her. "You put him and Clay together, now that's a hilarious duo."

Haley smiled, feeling relief wash over her at her brother's words. It wouldn't away her opinion whether or not they liked him, but it was relieving to hear they felt that way.

"Yeah, we've been trying to mess with him to stress you out, but we just had to let you know. He's cool and the kids love him," Andrew said, yawning and rubbing his eyes. "With that confession, I'm going to bed."

"Some things are never going to change, no matter how old they get, hm?" Jimmy said to Lydia, shaking his head and laughing.

"The boys are still messing with Haley. Of course," Lydia said, waving to Andrew as he headed away.

"We like that he doesn't get mad," Brandon said, shrugging. "Especially since he didn't have a brother until he was older, so he's not used to things like this."

"He lived with Clay," Quinn pointed out, shaking her head. "And Clay loves to play jokes on me, I can only imagine what he did to Nate."

Haley smiled slightly, standing up slowly. "I think I'm going to head to bed too. I'll see you guys in the morning," She said, walking over and giving each of her parents a quick hug, before heading towards her and Nathan's tent.

She poked her head in and let out a deep breath, smiling at the sight in front of her. Nathan was laying on top of his sleeping back, sprawled out across it, his hand laying against her sleeping bag, which was rested about a foot from his.

She laid down next to him quietly, brushing her fingers up and down his forearm for a moment, before scooting herself closer to him.

She burrowed up into his side, draping her arm over his stomach, about to close her eyes when she was being pushed off of him.

Haley raised her eyebrows, looking at him and sitting up slowly.

"It's too hot, Hales," He said, blinking his eyes open and looking at her with a glazed over, tired look in his eyes.

"I'm hurt," She joked, resting her hand on her chest. "You've never rejected me before."

"It was the sleep doing it, I swear," He informed her, running his hand through his hair. "I'm dying. It's so hot in here," He mumbled, sitting up slowly.

She leaned forward, kissing him softly. "Let me get this straight, you expect me to sleep a foot away, and no touching is allowed?"

"I put my hand on your bed," He mumbled, rubbing his hand down his face. "Hales, I'm roasting. Seriously."

She laughed, pushing her sleeping bag back to the spot it had been in when she entered the tent. "Okay, find, give me your hand," She said, laying down and grabbing onto his hand.

He laid back down, turning on his side so that he was facing her. "I didn't intentionally push you away."

"Sure, sure," She teased him, kissing his hand lightly, stroking his forearm with her fingertips.

"I'm sorry," He groaned, shaking his head.

"Maybe tomorrow night I'll just sleep outside and give you the space you need," She informed him.

He sighed, glaring at her. "You're teasing me but it's making me feel bad," He said, propping his head up.

"I love you," She mumbled, kissing his hand again. "If this is as close as you'll let me get, then I'll take it."

"You're sweet," He responded, letting out a deep breath. "I had fun today. Did you have fun?"

"Yeah," She said, nodding at him.

"I used to wish that I had siblings when I was younger," He informed her, looking at their hands.

"Oh?" She replied, tangling their fingers together.

"Yeah, especially when we'd do things like this," He mumbled, nodding in no direction in particular, just to inform her that he meant camping.

She didn't say anything, just watched him as he thought.

"We used to go camping together. Right up until I started high school. That's when my parents started hating each other, and basketball became the only thing my dad wanted to talk about," He mumbled, meeting her eyes.

"Well you're welcome back every year," She said, smiling at him. "Upside of being a teacher, I have almost no summer obligations."

He laughed, grabbing the edge of her sleeping back and pulling it over so it was touching his own. "Alright, you've worn me down," He hummed, leaning forward and kissing her. "Then when I went to college, Clay, Chase, and I would go camping every once and awhile, and they were like my brothers. I mean, I had Luke, of course-"

"I know what you mean," She assured him, offering him a smile. "I love you, Nathan. I promise, I'll go camping with you for the rest of our lives."

"Big promise," He whispered, raising his eyebrows and looking at her.

"Something tells me it will be worth keeping," She whispered back, tucking her fingers under the collar of his shirt.

He smiled at her, kissing her again, before falling onto his back, staring up at the ceiling of the tent.

She did the same, before her eyes wandered over to him, her hand finding his once again, letting herself fall asleep.

xxxx

"Goodbye my sweet youngest child," Lydia said, pulling Haley into a hug and smiling at her.

"Bye Mom, thanks for a great trip once again," Haley hummed, hugging her back. "It's always good to see everyone."

"Don't be a stranger," Lydia said, smiling at her. She looked over at the tall, dark haired man next to Haley. "Nathan," She said, opening her arms to him.

Nathan smiled, stepping forward and hugging Lydia. "Thank you for everything, Lydia."

"Thank you right back," Lydia said, smiling at him. "You two drive safe, alright?"

"We will," Nathan said, smiling at her, dropping his arm around Haley's shoulder when he was released from the hug.

"Bye Dad," Haley said, smiling when Jimmy walked over, hugging him briefly.

Jimmy smiled at her, resting his chin on her head for a minute, rubbing her back. "Bye, Haley," He hummed, looking down at her. "Take good care of Nate. We worry about him now."

She laughed, looking over at Nathan. "Oh, I will," She said, winking at Nathan.

"And Nate, you take care of her," Jimmy said, shaking his head. "I'm putting part of my life in your hands when you date my child."

"Yes sir," Nathan said, nodding at him before smiling at Haley.

"Bye Aunt Haley!" A chorus of tells came from Vivian and Brandon's kids, the only children besides her and Taylor that were still there. Quinn and Clay had ended up having to leave a day early, much to her dismay, and the remainder of the James clan had already packed up their cars and left.

"Bye guys!" Haley said, waving at them and smiling.

"Bye Nathan!" A second chorus followed, causing Haley's grin to widen.

"See you later," Nathan said, jogging over and handed out high-fives and fist bumps to the kids, offering them more words of farewell.

"Bye Hales," Taylor said, stepping up next to her parents. "Glad to know if I ever want to make my rounds to Tree Hill that you have a guest room and a big girl home now. Mom and Dad said the bed his pretty comfy too," Taylor said, offering her a smile.

Haley smiled at her, stepping forward and hugging her. "Yeah, just make sure to call first, please," She said, letting out a deep breath.

"Apparently she doesn't love it when you drop by unannounced," Lydia laughed, smiling at her girls, before glancing at Jimmy. "Who would have thought?"

"Oh yes, our daughter Haley? She loves surprises," Jimmy responded sarcastically, laughing.

"Ha-ha, you guys are making me laugh so hard," Haley said, rolling her eyes. "Some type of warning would be nice."

Taylor laughed, nodding her head. "I'll see what I can do. I'm a free spirit, I go where the wind takes me."

"Yeah, well the wind might get you turned away if you don't use your phone to call first," Haley joked, sending her a pointed look, shaking her head.

"So let me get this straight, you want me to show up unannounced and stay for two weeks?" Taylor asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Oh, you two," Lydia said, shaking her head. "Taylor, don't harass Haley. Haley, don't react to Taylor."

"We never have to stop parenting, hm?" Jimmy laughed, looking at his wife.

"Probably not. We had too many kids, they're bound to always need us," Lydia said, rolling her eyes and laughing.

"Too many, hm? Where should you have stopped?" Haley asked, crossing her arms.

"Nathan, I think Haley is ready to go!" Taylor called, leaning forward and whispering to her mother loud enough for Haley to hear. "Don't worry, I won't tell her that you wish you stopped after me."

"Ready to go?" Nathan interrupted, resting his hand on Haley's shoulder, raising his eyebrows.

"Yes," She said, hugging both her mom and dad again. "I'll call you when we get home."

"Sounds good," Lydia said, waving at them.

Haley waved at her siblings and their kids once again, before walking over to her car. She turned to Nathan, holding out her hand for the keys. "I'll drive."

He raised his eyebrows, setting the keys in her hand. "All you," He laughed, walking around and opening the driver side door. He walked around to the passenger side, offering everyone another wave, before getting it.

Haley waved again, before starting the car and driving away.

He looked over at her, smiling slightly. He reached over, resting his hand on her leg. "I can't wait to be home."

"Right?" She laughed, glancing at him. "I'm so tired of sleeping on the ground."

He leaned over and kissed her cheek, letting out a deep breath.

"You were a hard ass on me this week," She informed him, raising her eyebrows.

"I was not," He argued, shaking his head.

"You kept telling me to chill out and calm down," She replied, shrugging.

"You're right, I'm sorry," He laughed, kissing her cheek again. "Is that why you wanted to drive, so you could have all the control?"

"Honey, it's funny that you think you have any control," She said, glancing at him and winking.

"Oh?" He asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Yes. Anyways, I was going to say that you're kind of hot when you're bossing me around," She said, smirking slightly and keeping her eyes on the road.

"Okay, now I really can't wait to go home. Step on it."


End file.
